John A Lindquist
MilitaryFamilysearch.org
A second challenge that profoundly shaped his life came with enlistment in the Army after Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941. He transferred to the Army Air Corps and was ordered to Debach air base in Ipswich, England, with the 8th Air Force, 493rd Bomb Group. He flew 38 missions as bombardier and/or navigator on B-17s and B-24s into occupied Europe. He retired from service as a major, having earned during wartime tenure the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon with five bronze campaign stars and the American Theater ribbon; his performance was rated excellent. He served 16 more years in the Air Force Reserves. Dad finagled an eight-day leave from cadet training in Texas to marry his love, Telitha (Tita) Ellis. They were married May 19, 1943, by Elder David O. McKay, a close friend of both families, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Mom accompanied him through training until he was sent overseas. John A. Lindquist passed away in June of 2013.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit History, http://493bgdebach.co.uk/roster_list.php