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James "Jim" L. Yep
552nd Bomb Sq., 386th Bomb Group (M)

The "enlisted record and report of separation" states Mr. Yep served in Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe, Air Offensive Europe.
He received the Good Conduct Medal, Dist Unit Badge GO 254 hq 9th AF 1944, European-African-Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon with 1 silver battle star & 1 bronze battle star, 1 service stripe, 4 overseas service bars.
Mr. Yep was a sergeant.
Separation Center was Camp Grant, IL.
Arm or Service: AAF.
Component: AUS.
Departed 27 May 1943 (six days after enlistment) for ETO and arrived 2 Jun, 1943.
The personnel officer who signed his "enlisted record..." was Joseph C. Koerner. 1st Lt. SIG CO

Airmen work, fight around the clock
By JAMES WELLARD (TIMES Staff Correspondent)

American Air Base in England, June 8 (By Wireless).
American pilots, crews and ground personnel are going without food and sleep to keep the mightiest air fleet the world has ever known in the skies over France.

Personal comfort and health are gladly sacrificed to ensure our beach parties, ships and transport planes have an impenetrable cover for their operations.

The boys of o the Marauder group I flew with on D-Day … they call themselves Kelly's Crusaders … had no sleep Monday night and on Tuesday flew two missions. They grabbed a bite of chow, short cat naps and were on the alert all Tuesday night and throughout Wednesday, ready to take off again on emergency calls.

OVER FRANCE EARLY
Some flew three missions yesterday. This morning Kelly's Crusaders were aboard their ships at 4:30AM and over France at 6AM. Many pilots and crews who are now putting in two and three missions daily were due to leave when the invasion struck.

For instance the pilot of the ship which flew me to the Cherbourg Peninsula on D-Day, Lt. Horace E. Hodge of New Orleans, was flying his 41st mission. The waist-gunner with whom I rode was flying his 52d mission. He was Sgt. Paul Scott of Cedartown, Ga.

All these boys have air medals and other decorations. All have been shot up many times and have brought back planes with the landing gear shot off.

Now they are flying with a new I zest, refusing no hardship to keep the planes aloft.

CHICAGOANS IN FIGHT
Among Chicagoans who are servicing planes and doing more than their bit at this critical time are T/Sgt. A. Gallagher, mechanic, 2347; W. 121st, Blue Island; S/Sgt. J. P., Sorg, armorer, 7731 N. Keeler; S/Sgt. E. A. Stream, mechanic, 2900 Belden, and Sgt. S. E. Summers, armorer, 1609 48th, Cicero. Other Chicagoans in the group were Sgt. James L. Yep, engineer, 229 W. 22d pl.; Pfc G. J. Centoni, armorer, 4737 W. Lexington, Cicero; S/Sgt. William P, Conley, 4739 West End; Pvt. Harry J. Cugier, 1439 N. Ridgeway; T/Sgt. Winfield C. Vaughan, 526-A Surf; S/Sgt. Antony L. Pascaretta, 1511 W. Van Buren, and P/Sgt. Irving H. Abrahamson, 2417 Fargo.

 

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