World War II Honoree

George E. Preddy, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Greensboro, North Carolina

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 SINGLE ENGINE TRAINING), AND ADVANCED FLYING TRAINING, (INVOLVING GROUND SCHOOL AND SINGLE-ENGINE AIRCRAFT FLYING), HE WAS EARMARKED FOR FOLLOW-ON FIGHTER AIRCRAFT TRAINING, AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS, COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT AND NEXT, ASSIGNED FOR TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT HE WOULD FLY IN COMBAT. DURING TRAINING, HE WAS INJURED IN A TRAINING ACCIDENT. HE SENT A LETTER TO A FRIEND EXPLAINING WHY HE NEEDED TO RETURN TO HIS TRAINING – 'I MUST GO BACK, TO DO MY PART, BACK TO FLY AND GIVE AGAIN. AND I'M NOT AFRAID. MY PLANE MAY BE SHOT AWAY, BUT I HAVE WINGS. WINGS NOT OF WOOD OR STEEL… BUT WINGS GOD GAVE MY SOUL. THANK GOD FOR WINGS.' HE SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) DURING THE WAR WITH THE 352ND FIGHTER GROUP, 8TH AIR FORCE, STATIONED AT ROYAL AIR FORCE (RAF) BODNEY, AT NORFOLK, ENGLAND, BEGINNING IN THE JUNE-JULY, 1943, TIMEFRAME. HIS UNIT NICKNAME WAS 'THE BLUE-NOSED BASTARDS OF BODNEY.' HE SERVED AS A PILOT, OPERATIONS OFFICER AND COMMANDED THE 328TH FIGHTER SQUADRON. HE INITIALLY FLEW THE P-47 'THUNDERBOLT' FIGHTER UNTIL APRIL, 1944, WHEN HE CONVERTED TO THE NEW P-51 'MUSTANG' FIGHTER. PARTICIPATED IN THE AIR OFFENSIVE, EUROPE, NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, AND ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE) CAMPAIGNS. DURING THE NORMANDY, FRANCE (D-DAY) INVASION IN JUNE, 1944, HE STRAFED BEACH-AREA BEACHES AND DIVE-BOMBED GERMAN FORCES AND POSITIONS. HE FLEW 143 COMBAT MISSIONS, AND ACHIEVED 26 AIR-TO-AIR KILLS. HE BECAME THE TOP P-51 FIGHTER 'ACE' DURING THE WAR. HE WAS DESCRIBED AS A 'HUNTER-WARRIOR' BY HIS FELLOW PILOTS. THE 'MUSTANG' WAS THE TOP AMERICAN FIGHTER AIRCRAFT IN THE WAR THAT COULD OUT-CLIMB, OUT-DIVE, AND OUT-MANEUVER VIRTUALLY ANY ENEMY PLANES IN THE SKY. HE WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION FOR DOWNING 6 GERMAN ME-109 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT IN 5 MINUTES ON AUGUST 6, 1944. AWARDED THE SILVER STAR WITH 1 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER (2 AWARDS) FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH 1 SILVER AND 3 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS (9 AWARDS) FOR HEROISM IN ACTION, POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR BEING KILLED IN ACTION ON DECEMBER 25, 1944, BY FRIENDLY ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE, DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, AIR MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER AND 2 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS (8 AWARDS) FOR HEROIC ACTIONS IN FLIGHT, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER OAK LEAF CLUSTER (5 CAMPAIGNS), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HIS GROUP WAS AWARDED AND HE IS AUTHORIZED TO WEAR, THE DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION (PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION) FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION DURING A BOMBER ESCORT MISSION AND AIR COMBAT AT BRUNSWICK, GERMANY, ON MAY 8, 1944. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF MAJOR AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.