World War II Honoree

Thomas Harding 'Buddy' Harp

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Craig County, Vinita, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE ON MAY 6, 1941. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, INCLUDING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTOUSA) WITH THE 15TH AIR FORCE IN ITALY. THE 15TH AIR FORCE'S AREA OF OPERATIONS INCLUDED GERMANY, AUSTRIA, THE BALKINS, NORTHERN ITALY AND THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF FRANCE. THE 15TH AIR FORCE WAS ACTIVATED AS THE STRATEGIC ELEMENT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN ALLIED AIR FORCES TO COOPERATE WITH BRITISH AIR UNITS. THE INTEGRATED PROGRAM BEGAN WITH A MAIDEN MISSION AGAINST THE MESSERSCHMITT FACTORY AT WIENER NEUSTADT, AUSTRIA ON NOVEMBER 2, 1943. SUBSEQUENT MISSIONS WERE DIRECTED AGAINST AIRCRAFT FACTORIES IN AUGSBURG AND KLAGENFURT IN GERMANY, AND BALL BEARING FACTORIES IN TURIN AND VILLA PEROSA IN ITALY. MOST OF THE 15TH'S EFFORTS DURING THE WINTER OF 1943-44, WERE DEVOTED TO FACILITATING THE GROUND CAMPAIGN IN ITALY. IT MADE REPEATED ATTACKS ON MARSHALLING YARDS THROUGHOUT THE ITALIAN PENINSULA AND ON GERMAN AIR BASES. FOR SPECIAL MISSIONS, IT RANGED TO TOULON AND MARSEILLES IN FRANCE, SOFIA IN BULGARIA, AND REPEATEDLY TO AIRFIELDS IN ATHENS, GREECE. 15TH AIR FORCE PLANES DROPPED HUNDREDS OF TONS OF BOMBS IN THE CASSINO, ITALY AREA ON MARCH 15, 1944, IN AN EFFORT TO ELIMINATE GERMAN GROUND RESISTANCE AT CASSSINO. HE SPENT SOME 18 MONTHS STATIONED IN ITALY. AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON OCTOBER 9, 1945, AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. HE ACHIEVED THE RANK OF MASTER SERGEANT (E-7 FIRST GRADE), SUPERVISING SOME 500 ENLISTED PERSONNEL. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL. HE CONTINUED IN AIR FORCE SERVICE WITH THE AIR FORCE RESERVE AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES.