Lt Col Paul L Van Cleef, USAF (Ret), flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in the 365th Fighter Group, 387th Fighter Squadron from December 1943 until the end of the war in 1945. He was stationed at Gosfield, Essex, England in December 23, 1943 and moved to Beaulieu, Hants, England on March 5, 1944. He went to France on 27 June, 1944.



Lt Col Van Cleef flew 110 combat missions and was awarded the Air Medal with 16 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, European Theater of Operation Ribbon with 6 Battle Stars, Distinguished Unit Citation with Cluster, Belgian Croix de Guerre (2) and Belgian Fourragere. He retired from USAF on January 1, 1971.