World War II Honoree

Tom Cunningham

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE ARMY AIR CORPS IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADUATING FROM OKLAHOMA AGRICULTURAL & MECHANICAL COLLEGE (OAMC) IN 1932. APPLIED AND WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AND SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING AS A PILOT. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF TRAINING, WAS EARMARKED FOR FOLLOW-ON TRAINING ON HEAVY BOMBER AIRCRAFT, AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN 1933. NEXT, ASSIGNED TO LANGLEY FIELD AT HAMPTON, VIRGINIA FOR TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING. THEN, REASSIGNED TO RANDOLPH FIELD IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AS AN INSTRUCTOR. AFTER THE UNITED STATES ENTERED THE WAR IN DECEMBER, 1941, HE SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT FORT STOCKTON, TEXAS IN 1942 AS THE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF BUILDING STOCKTON AIRFIELD THERE. REASSIGNED TO VICTORVILLE ARMY AIR FIELD, CALIFORNIA WHERE HE SERVED AS AN INSPECTOR FOR AIRCREW TRAINING STATIONS IN CALIFORNIA WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL IN 1943. AWARDED THE AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.