World War II Honoree

Lloyd M. Corlee

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

El Reno, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE ON DECEMBER 16, 1941. TRAINED ON MAINTENANCE OF B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ HEAVY BOMBER AIRCRAFT, AND SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, BASED AT WENDOVER FIELD, UTAH, BEFORE OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. HE DEPLOYED TO ENGLAND IN SEPTEMBER, 1942, AND WAS BASED AT ROYAL AIR FORCE (RAF) THURLEIGH AIRFIELD IN ENGLAND. SERVED AS AN AIRPLANE MECHANIC OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO), WITH THE 423RD BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (HEAVY), 306TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY), 8TH AIR FORCE. AS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, HE SERVED AS PART OF A GROUND CREW RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE OF HIS ASSIGNED AIRCRAFT. DUTIES INCLUDED CHECKING THE CONDITION OF AIRPLANES AND ENGINES; MAKING REPAIRS, REPLACEMENTS AND ADJUSTMENTS; AND INSPECTING ELECTRICAL AND CONTROL SYSTEMS, UNDERCARRIAGE, BRAKES, ENGINES AND PROPELLERS. HIS SQUADRON’S AREA OF OPERATIONS INCLUDED GERMANY AND OCCUPIED EUROPE. PARTICIPATED IN THE AIR COMBAT – EUROPE, AIR OFFENSIVE – EUROPE, NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS UNIT SERVED PRIMARILY AS A DAYLIGHT STRATEGIC BOMBING ORGANIZATION, ATTACKING SUCH TARGETS AS U-BOAT MANUFACTURING, DOCKING AND REPAIR FACILITIES (E.G. WILHELMSHAVEN IN GERMANY), SHIPYARDS (E.G. VEGESACK IN GERMANY), HARBORS, RAILWAY FACTORIES AND MARSHALLING YARDS (E.G. LILLE & ROUEN IN FRANCE AND STUTTGART IN GERMANY), AIRFIELDS, AND THE GERMAN INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM (E.G. BALL BEARING PLANTS AT SCHWEINFURT IN GERMANY), AIRCRAFT FACTORIES (E.G. LEIPZIG IN GERMANY), AND OIL REFINERIES AND STORAGE FACILITIES. THE SQUADRON ALSO PERFORMED TACTICAL SUPPORT MISSIONS, ASSISTING GROUND FORCES IN THE ST LO BREAK-THROUGH IN FRANCE IN JULY-AUGUST, 1944; THE AIRBORNE INVASION OF THE NETHERLANDS (OPERATION MARKET-GARDEN) IN SEPTEMBER, 1944; STOPPING ENEMY FORCES IN THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE) IN DECEMBER, 1944-JANUARY, 1945, AND BOMBING ENEMY POSITIONS DURING THE AIRBORNE ASSAULT ACROSS THE RHINE RIVER (OPERATION VARSITY) IN MARCH, 1945. ON JANUARY 11, 1944, THE SQUADRON ATTACKED AIRCRAFT FACTORIES IN CENTRAL GERMANY WITHOUT FIGHTER ESCORT AND IN THE FACE OF STRONG ENEMY OPPOSITION. FOR THIS MISSION, THE SQUADRON WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION (DUC). THE FOLLOWING MONTH, ON FEBRUARY 22, 1944, THE SQUADRON EARNED A SECOND DUC FOR ITS PERFORMANCE DURING ‘BIG WEEK’, AN INTENSIVE BOMBING CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE GERMAN AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY. AFTER GERMANY SURRENDERED UNCONDITIONALLY ON MAY 7, 1945, THE END OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE BECAME EFFECTIVE ON MAY 8, 1945, AND THE ALLIED VICTORY IN EUROPE (V-E DAY) WAS ANNOUNCED. HIS SQUADRON WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PLACED ON OCCUPATION DUTY. THE SQUADRON WAS IN THAT ROLE ON AUGUST 14, 1945, IN GERMANY, WHEN THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE ALLIED UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TERMS. WORLD WAR II FORMALLY ENDED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945 AND VICTORY OVER JAPAN DAY (V-J DAY) WAS PROCLAIMED. THE 423RD SQUADRON PARTICIPATED IN A POST-WAR PROJECT USING THEIR B-17 PLANES TO TRANSPORT SERVICE PERSONNEL FROM WESTERN EUROPE, ITALY AND THE UNITED KINGDOM TO NORTH AFRICA, TO RETURN THEM TO THE UNITED STATES. AWARDED THE TECHNICIAN QUALIFICATION BADGE WITH ‘AIRPLANE MECHANIC’ QUALIFICATION BAR. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER AND 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (7 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. AUTHORIZED THE DISTINGUISHED (PRESIDENTIAL) UNIT CITATION (DUC) WITH 1 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS SQUADRON IN COMBAT IN GERMANY ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN 1944. CONTINUED IN U.S. AIR FORCE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT.