World War II Honoree

James Thomas 'Jim' Murray

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Kansas City, Missouri

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

APPLIED, AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING IN THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AS A NAVIGATOR. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PREFLIGHT SCHOOL, FLEXIBLE GUNNERY SCHOOL, AND BASIC AND ADVANCED NAVIGATION TRAINING, WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER NAVIGATOR WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. NEXT, SENT TO BOMBARDIER-NAVIGATOR SCHOOL, AND THEN, ASSIGNED FOR UNIT TRAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT HE WOULD FLY ON IN COMBAT. DEPLOYED TO ENGLAND AND JOINED THE 8TH AIR FORCE. SERVED AS A B-26 ‘MARAUDER’ MEDIUM BOMBER NAVIGATOR-BOMBARDIER OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, INCLUDING IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE, FROM 1944-1946. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1946, AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.