Pretty cool.

26 miles from Raton NM in the middle of no-where.

Austin Motel Congress St. Cool place

The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World.

Honor Flight DFW Profiles trip # 9

James was working in a railroad yard in Waywoka, Oklahoma on Sunday December 7, 1941. He joined the Army Air Corps on January 19, 1943 at the age of 19.

He was trained as a pilot and soon found himself shipped overseas to the European Theater of operations. He flew P-51 Mustang’s with the 2^nd Squadron, 52^nd Fighter Group of the 15^th Air Force based in Italy.

 James also flew C-47 cargo planes in Egypt. He even flew C-46 Commando cargo planes in China, flying over “The Hump.” James flew a total of 347.5 hours in these different aircraft. He returned to the U.S. in November, 1945.

He chose to stay in the AAF and was there when the change occurred with the Air Force becoming a separate part of the military in 1949. He stayed in and retired in 1966 with the rank of Lt. Colonel.   

Profiles Honor Flight DFW trip #9

Joe was home at Avant, Oklahoma on the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

He joined the US Army and was inducted on July 27, 1943 at the age of 19.

Soon, he was shipped overseas to the European theater of operations. He was a squad leader with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was assigned to the Third Division, 7^th Infantry Battalion. He saw service in Italy and France.

The 3^rd Infantry Division was known as the “Rock of the Marne” for its service at Chateau Thierry in July 1918 during WWI. During WWII the division saw 233 days of combat in such places as Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, and Rome-Arno in Italy. Later the division saw action in Southern France, the Rhineland, and Central Europe.

Joe saw a lot of action, and saw many men killed and wounded during combat. He was wounded on September 11, 1944 in France. He was sent to a hospital in the rear. He remained in the hospital until he was discharged in October 1945.

Joe used much of what he learned and experienced as far as maturity and reliability in his personal life. He joined Phillip’s Petroleum on January 8, 1946. This was the only job he ever had and retired on April 1, 1985.

For his wartime service, Joe earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Purple Heart. Others included the European Theater Medal with three bronze stars, and the French Legion of Honor medal.

Nothings heavier than Led.