World War II Honoree

J. W. 'Jim' Dutton

Hometown

Ponca City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

HE AND HIS WIFE SERVED ACTIVELY ON VARIOUS CITY CIVIC, CHURCH, AND SOCIAL COMMITTEES DURING THE WAR YEARS. IN RESPONSE TO THE NATION'S FIRST LADY, ELEANOR ROOSEVELT'S, CALL FOR AMERICAN COMMUNITIES TO WELCOME BRITISH ALLIES IN TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES, THEY LED AN EFFORT TO EXTEND THE HAND OF FELLOWSHIP TO ENGLISH PILOTS UNDERGOING FLIGHT TRAINING AT THE DARR BRITISH FLYING TRAINING SCHOOL #6 IN PONCA CITY. THEY BEGAN BY CONTACTING OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND URGING THEM TO OPEN THEIR HOLMES AND HEARTS TO THESE YOUNG BRITS. BETWEEN 1941-1944, THEY PERSONALLY HOSTED SOME 86 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE (RAF) IN THEIR HOME. TYPICALLY, THE 'BRITISH BOYS' WERE INVITED EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND ON SUNDAYS. THE SPECIALTY ON SUNDAYS WAS WAFFLES, WHICH WAS A NEW TASTE TREAT FOR THE BRITS, BUT INSTANTLY BECAME A FAVORITE. THEIR GENEROSITY, AND THAT OF OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HOSTED THESE YOUNG MEN, WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND WAS PARTICULARLY NOTEWORTHY IN VIEW OF THE WARTIME RATIONING OF SCARCE FOOD ITEMS. THEY ALSO BEFRIENDED MANY OF THESE YOUNG GENTLEMEN, AND TOOK IT ON THEMSELVES TO WRITE TO THE PARENTS OF THE MEN. THEY BELIEVED THAT THESE PARENTS WOULD ENJOY KNOWING THAT THEIR SONS WERE DOING WELL, AND BEING LOOKED AFTER, WHILE FAR AWAY FROM HOME. AFTER GETTING THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES, THEY WROTE TO TELL OF MEETING THEIR SON, HAVING HIM TO DINNER, AND BRINGING THEM UP TO DATE ON SOME OF HIS LATEST ACTIVITIES. IT WAS JUST A NOTE TO REASSURE THE PARENTS THAT THEIR BOY WAS SAFE AND BEING CARED FOR. THEIR LETTERS RESULTED IN SEVERAL 'PEN PALS' AND A FEW LIFELONG FRIENDS. THEY WERE DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE WAR EFFORT IN THIS SMALL WAY.