World War II Honoree

John M. Wynn

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Wilburton, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN FEBRUARY, 1943. SERVED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER. AFTER BASIC INDIVIDUAL TRAINING, AND SPECIALTY TRAINING AS A RADIO OPERATOR AND AERIAL GUNNER, HE WAS SENT TO UNIT AND CREW TRAINING. SERVED AS A RADIO OPERATOR AND AIR TRANSPORT COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER, IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) AREA, DURING THE WAR. HE WAS PART OF A COMBAT CREW WITH PRIMARY DUTY INVOLVING RADIO OPERATION AND REPAIR, AND SECONDARY DUTY AS AN AERIAL GUNNER WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER ATTACK. AWARDED HIS SILVER AIRCREW MEMBER BADGE (WINGS) AND AERIAL GUNNER BADGE (WINGS), DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AIR MEDAL WITH 1 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER (2 AWARDS), GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE TECHNICIAN QUALIFICATION BADGE WITH ‘RADIO OPERATOR’ QUALIFICATION BAR. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS UNIT IN COMBAT. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN JANUARY, 1946, WITH THE RANK OF CORPORAL AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD WITH RESERVE AND ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF FIRST SERGEANT.