World War II Honoree

Dennis L. Bales, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Pearl Thomas

He dropped out of high school after his sophomore year to join the U.S. Army in August of 1941. He was stationed in Hawaii when the Japanese bombing began on December 7, 1941. He was already a Sergeant by that time and with the draft after the declaration of war all his troops reporting to him were older than he. He fought the war on the islands of the South Pacific and was wounded on Makin Island on November 23, 1943. It was a wound caused by two pieces of either mortar shell or hand grenade. When he was discharged after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he returned to high school to finish his terms.