World War II Honoree

Joe R. 'J.R.' Earls

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Altus, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE IN 1942. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER AS AN AIRPLANE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN AND CREW CHIEF WITH THE 45TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 15TH PURSUIT GROUP. HIS SQUADRON WAS SENT TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC IN 1943 FOR COMBAT OPERATIONS; RETURNED TO HAWAII IN APRIL, 1944, AND DEPARTED HAWAII FOR SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS IN JANUARY, 1945; AND THEN RELOCATED TO IWO JIMA IN MARCH, 1945. HIS SQUADRON WAS ON IWO JIMA WHEN JAPAN SURRENDERED AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL NOVEMBER 25, 1945. STATIONED AT BELLOWS FIELD, HAWAII (1943); BAKER ISLAND (1943); FUNAFUTI AIRFIELD ON NANUMEA (1943), ABEMAMA AIRFIELD ON ABEMAMA (1944), AND MAKIN AIRFIELD ON MAKIN (1944), ALL IN THE GILBERT ISLANDS; AND MOKULEIA AIRFIELD (1944), AND BELLOWS FIELD (1944-45), BOTH IN HAWAII; SOUTH FIELD, ON IWO JIMA IN THE BONIN ISLANDS (1945); AND WHEELER FIELD (1946) IN HAWAII. MAINTAINED P-40 'WARHAWK,' P-39 'AIRACOBRA,' AND THEN P-47 'THUNDERBOLT' AND P-51 'MUSTANG' AIRCRAFT. PARTICIPATED IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC; AIR OFFENSIVE, JAPAN; EASTERN MANDATES; AND AIR COMBAT, ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER CAMPAIGNS. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (4 CAMPAIGNS), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS SQUADRON IN COMBAT WHILE ENGAGED IN A FIGHTER ESCORT MISSION OVER JAPAN ON APRIL 7, 1945. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1946 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.