World War II Honoree

Harold 'Hal' Halvorson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Kansas City, Missouri

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

Relationship

Relationship Not Determined

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE, VOLUNTEERED FOR AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING IN THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AS A PILOT. COMPLETED A BASIC MILITARY COURSE FOR BASIC, NON-FLYING TRAINING PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PROGRAM. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PREFLIGHT, NON-FLYING SCHOOL, PRIMARY FLYING SCHOOL, INVOLVING GROUND SCHOOL AND FLYING TRAINING, BASIC FLYING SCHOOL, INVOLVING BOTH GROUND SCHOOL AND FLYING TRAINING, WHERE HE WAS SELECTED FOR MULTI-ENGINE TRAINING, AND ADVANCED FLYING TRAINING, INVOLVING GROUND SCHOOL AND MULTI-ENGINE AIRCRAFT FLYING. UPON COMPLETION, HE WAS EARMARKED FOR FOLLOW-ON HEAVY BOMBARDMENT AIRCRAFT TRAINING, AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS, COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT AND NEXT, ASSIGNED FOR TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING IN THE B-17 4-ENGINE AIRCRAFT HE WOULD FLY IN COMBAT. THE GROUP WAS STATIONED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER FOR PRE-DEPLOYMENT TRAINING AT EPHRATA ARMY AIR BASE AT EPHRATA WASHINGTON (MAY 1, 1943), RAPID CITY ARMY AIR BASE AT BOX ELDER, SOUTH DAKOTA (JULY 1, 1943), AND HARVARD ARMY AIR FIELD, NEBRASKA (AUGUST-NOVEMBER, 1943. THE 447TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP DEPLOYED TO ENGLAND IN NOVEMBER, 1943, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE EIGHTH AIR FORCE. HE SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, INCLUDING IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) DURING THE WAR. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE AMERICAN, AIR OFFENSIVE - EUROPE, NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), CENTRAL EUROPE, AND AIR COMBAT – EAME THEATER CAMPAIGNS. THE GROUP OPERATED CHIEFLY AS A STRATEGIC BOMBARDMENT ORGANIZATION. HE FLEW AS FIRST PILOT ON B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ HEAVY BOMBER AIRCRAFT ON STRATEGIC BOMBARDMENT MISSIONS OUT OF RATTLESDEN, SUFFOLK, ENGLAND. HIS GROUP'S FIRST MISSION WAS ON CHRISTMAS EVE, DECEMBER 24, 1943. FROM DECEMBER 1943 TO MAY 1944, IT HELPED TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT BY ATTACKING SUBMARINE PENS, NAVAL INSTALLATIONS, AND CITIES IN GERMANY; PORTS AND MISSILE SITES IN FRANCE; AND AIRFIELDS AND MARSHALLING YARDS IN FRANCE, BELGIUM, AND GERMANY. DURING 'BIG WEEK', FROM FEBRUARY 20-25,1944, THE GROUP TOOK PART IN THE INTENSIVE CAMPAIGN OF HEAVY BOMBARDMENT AGAINST GERMAN AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION FACILITIES. IN JUNE, 1944, THE GROUP SUPPORTED THE ALLIED D-DAY INVASION OF NORMANDY BY BOMBING AIRFIELDS AND OTHER TARGETS NEAR THE BEACHHEAD. IT AIDED THE BREAKTHROUGH AT SAINT LO, FRANCE IN JULY, AND THE EFFORT TO TAKE BREST, FRANCE IN SEPTEMBER. IT ALSO ASSISTED IN THE AIRBORNE INVASION OF HOLLAND (OPERATION MARKET-GARDEN) IN SEPTEMBER, BOMBING ENEMY FORMATIONS AND POSITIONS. IT DROPPED SUPPLIES TO FREE FRENCH FORCES DURING THE SUMMER OF 1944. HIS GROUP TURNED TO STRATEGIC TARGETS IN GERMANY IN OCTOBER, 1944, WITH EMPHASIS ON OIL PRODUCTION FACILITIES UNTIL MID-DECEMBER, 1944. DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, FROM DECEMBER 16, 1944-JANUARY 25, 1945, THE GROUP ASSAULTED MARSHALLING YARDS, RAILROAD BRIDGES, AND COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS. THEN RESUMED OPERATIONS AGAINST TARGETS IN GERMANY, ATTACKING THE CITY OF BERLIN, AND OIL, TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, AND OTHER STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL OBJECTIVES, INCLUDING SUPPORTING THE ALLIED AIRBORNE ASSAULT ACROSS THE RHINE RIVER (OPERATION VARSITY) ON MARCH 24,1945. GERMANY UNCONDITIONALLY SURRENDERED TO THE ALLIES ON MAY 7, 1945, AND PRESIDENT TRUMAN ANNOUNCED THE ALLIED VICTORY IN EUROPE (V-E DAY) ON MAY 8, 1945. THE GROUP RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES IN AUGUST, 1945, AND WAS INACTIVATED ON NOVEMBER 7, 1945. HE WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AIR MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, 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 AND GOLD AIRPLANE DEVICE FOR COORDINATING FLIGHTS FOR THE BERLIN AIRLIFT. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN U.S. AIR FORCE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL.