World War II Honoree

Leonard Lee Billingsley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Mutual, Woodward County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

APPLIED, AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING IN THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AS A PILOT. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A BASIC MILITARY COURSE, PREFLIGHT NON-FLYING CIVILIAN SCHOOLING, PRIMARY, BASIC, AND ADVANCED FLYING SCHOOLS, HE WAS EARMARKED FOR FOLLOW-ON MEDIUM BOMBARDMENT AIRCRAFT TRAINING, AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. NEXT, ASSIGNED FOR TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT HE WOULD FLY IN COMBAT. SERVED AS A B-25 'MITCHELL' MEDIUM BOMBER PILOT OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, INCLUDING IN THE NORTH AFRICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (NATOUSA), WITH THE 434TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 12TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP. HIS UNIT’S AREA OF OPERATIONS INCLUDED NORTH AFRICA, THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN AREA AND SICILY. HIS SQUADRON WAS PRIMARILY INVOLVED WITH SUPPORT OF THE GROUND FORCES IN NORTH AFRICA AND SICILY. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE AIR OFFENSIVE-EUROPE, TUNISIA, AND SICILY CAMPAIGNS. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT WAS SHOT DOWN DURING A BOMBING MISSION NEAR MOUNT ETNA ON SICILY ON AUGUST 7, 1943. THE AIRCRAFT SANK IN THE STRAIT OF MESSINA OFF SICILY AND NO REMAINS OF THE CREW WERE RECOVERED. THE CAPTAIN WAS INITIALLY LISTED AS MISSING IN ACTION AND LATER DECLARED DEAD ON AUGUST 8, 1943. HE WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL POSTHUMOUSLY. ALSO ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON POSTHUMOUSLY.