World War II Honoree

Hiland T. Elam

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Owensboro, Kentucky

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Staff Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Army Air Corps February 5, 1942 at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. Served as a B-17F ‘Flying Fortress’ Bomber Waist Gunner, who experienced combat in the European Theater of Operations. Assigned to the 419th Bomb Squadron, 301st Bomb Group attached to the United States 15th Army Air Force, stationed at Foggia, Italy. Tuesday, November 16, 1943 he was killed in action along with nine other crew members during a bombing raid on the Istres-le-Tube German Airdrome, located near Marseilles, France. Upon leaving the target area, and returning to base, the ‘Flying Fortress’ was shot down after encountering enemy fighters, crashing into the Mediterranean Sea. He was Reported as Missing in Action, Lost at Sea on the day of the raid and memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing at the Rhone American Cemetery located at Draguignan (Var), France. Decorations and Citations: Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. The Sergeant was awarded the Air Medal for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. This American Patriot was also awarded the Purple Heart, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.