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| A member of Joseph P. Chaisson American Legion Post 41 for 64 years and marches in uniform every Memorial Day Parade; Tom shares his memories during the Second World War joining the Army Air Corp June 1st, 1940 and completing basic and flight training at Scott Field, Illinois.
It was a time when there were more planes than pilots; Tom received training in electronics communication and flying starting with a P-40 War Hawk fighter and later bomber aircraft. It is not common for pilots to be non-commissioned officers, but this was unusual times. Tom was assigned to the 2nd Bombardment Group Twelfth Air Force, entering combat operations in North Africa operating from several bases in Algeria and Tunisia, eventually becoming a part of the Fifteenth Air Force and flying out of Amendola, Italy.
Most memorable event was a flight of deception. A specific gasoline factory in Germany had been designated as a high priority target. Many planes were lost in previous attempts to get through the German Air defense. Tom was the co-pilot of a
bomber within a flying formation going into Germany; both sides could monitor radio traffic. Tom had a crew member aboard who was fluent and familiar with the German language. Preplanned, Tom’s aircraft radioed headquarters that they were having engine problems, requesting permission to return to base, permission granted, they pulled away from the group swinging back, but also heading for the factory, Apparently the German Air Defense was more concerned with the formation of aircraft and the German speaking crew member listening to German air traffic guided them through German air defenses to a successful bombing mission on the factory. A single aircraft without fighter protection went above and beyond to get the mission done.
Thomas S. Howard was issued the Legion of Merit and returned to the United States, where he worked on electrical systems in B-29’s just prior to discharge in December of 1944.
He received permanent ear damage from the dive bombing, but never successfully presented a disability claim. | |
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- THOMAS S. HOWARD
