World War II Honoree

Irving Greenspan

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Chicago, Illinois

Honored By

Sandy and Bob Greenspan

Relationship

Daughter and Son

Served in the Army Air Corps as a dedicated patriot December, 1942-January, 1946. Enlisted: Aviation Cadet; Military Occupational Specialty Code: Gunnery Maintenance; Corporal at discharge from Santa Ana, CALIFORNIA. Basic Training: Sheppard Field, TEXAS; Flight Training: Oklahoma City University, OKLAHOMA; Radio Gunnery Training: Scott Field, ILLINOIS; Central Fire Control Gunnery Training for B-29 Aircraft: Lowry Field, COLORADO. Upon Gunnery Maintenance classification, assigned to Pensacola, FLORIDA, the location for testing all U.S. military aviation equipment; specialized in B-29 armament maintenance and service. Part of a special group assigned to live on survival life rafts for weeks at a time to test equipment to change salt water into fresh drinking water. Also tested all new armament equipment developed for B-17 aircraft. Assigned to Colonel Paul Tibbet’s 509th Composite Group(whose top secret mission was to drop the atomic bomb on Japan) to maintain and service B-29 armament, but was reassigned after determination that gun turret armament would be removed to lighten B-29s carrying atomic bombs. Maintained and serviced B-29 aircraft at Air Force Bases in: Fairmont, Harvard, and Omaha, NEBRASKA; Topeka, KANSAS; Albuquerque, NEW MEXICO; and Amarillo and Dalhart, TEXAS. Decorations: American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and WWII Victory Medal.