This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr.
to remember
Andrews, Stanley Overton, Lt Col USAF(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Last Address Colorado Springs, Colorado
Date of Passing Sep 07, 2012
Wall/Plot Coordinates Cremated and ashes scattered
Before enlisting, he attended Florida Military Academy and St. Petersburg Jr. College.
He shot down 6 enemy aircraft in the Pacific Theater in WWII.
His Silver Star citation: Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant (Air Corps) Stanley O. Andrews (ASN: 0-659791), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving as a Pilot with the 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, FIFTH Air Force, in action near Buna, New Guinea, on 27 December 1942. Lieutenant Andrews was a member of a flight of four P-38 airplanes which engaged a flight of three enemy aircraft near Buna, New Guinea, and destroyed all of them. Lieutenant Andrews personally destroyed one of the enemy airplanes.
General Orders: Headquarters, V Fighter Command, General Orders No. 2 (January 24, 1943)
Base, Station or City
Mills Field and Hamilton Field
State/Country
California
Patch
78th Fighter Group Details
group marking
The Duxford Eagles
Station:
Duxford 3 April 1943 to 10 October 1945
Station Callsign:
Rutley
Group Callsign:
Greywall (A Group) to 22 April '44 then Phoenix
Bakehouse (B Group) to 22 April '44 then Slapstick
Boycott (C Group from 23 April '44
Lt. Frank A Fish, Cambridge, IA. 83rd Fighter Squadron. P-47D 42-28636 HL-V "Flying Fish". Lt. Fish seen in cockpit.
Col. Frederick C Gray Jr. Abilene, TX. Group Headquarters. P-51D 44-63279 HL-Z "Mr Ted II"
Lt. Jerry E Brasher, Roswell, NM. 82nd Fighter Squadron. P-47D 42-76585 MX-F "Nice Kitty / Dude"
Maj. Richard A Hewitt. Lewiston NY. 82nd Fighter Squadron. P-51D 44-64147 MX-U "Big Dick". (Big Dick is the craps call for double five).
Lt. Huie H Lamb Jr. Abilene TX. 82nd Fighter Squadron. P-51K 44-11631 MX-V "Etta Jeanne II"
Lt. Anthony A Palopoli. Pittsburgh PA. 83rd Fighter Squadron. P-51D 44-72146 HL-P_ "Little Joe"
The logo forming part of the nose art is that of the 70th Infantry Division "Trail Blazers" with which Lt. Palopoli's brother was serving.
Lt. Burton J Newmark, Brooklyn, NY. 84th Fighter Squadron. P-51D 44-63171 WZ-K_ "Lady Eve".
Lt. Charles D Whitefield, Ranger, TX. 84th Fighter Squadron. P-47D 42-25871 WZ-Y "Roger the Lodger".
Assigned 8th AAF: 29 Nov. 42
Wing/Command Assignment
VIII 11 FC: 29 Nov. 42.
VIII FC, 4 ADW: 30 Jun. 43.
VIII FC, 65 FW: 7 Aug. 43.
VIII 11 FC, 66 FW: 1 8 Aug. 43.
3 BD, 66 FW: 1 5 Sep. 44
3 AD, 66 FW: 1 Jan. 45
Combat Aircraft:
P-38G, Dec. 42-Feb. 43.
P-47C, from late Jan. 43;
P-47D from Jun. 43-Jan. 45.
P-51 D (from block 20)
P-51 K, in combat from 29 Dec. 44.
Col Arman Peterson: May 1942 - 1 Jul. 1943, KIA
Lt Col Melvin F. McNickle 12 Jul. 1943 - 30 Jul. 1943, POW
Col James J. Stone: 31 Jul. 1943 - 22 May 1944. (Acting 1 -12 Jul. 43).
Col Frederic C. Gray: 22 May 1944 - 1 Feb. 1945
Lt Col Olin E. Gilbert: 1 Feb. 1945 - 21 Feb. 1945
Col John D. Landers: 22 Feb. 45 - 1 Jul. 45
Lt Col Roy B. Caviness: 1 Jul. 1945 - Oct. 1945
First Mission: 13 Apr. 1943
Last Mission: 25 Apr 1945
Total missions: 450
Aircraft MIA: 167
Claims: Air 338 Ground 358.
Major Awards:
Distinguished Unit Citation:
6-23 Sep. 1944, Holland, Action in support airborne forces.16 Apr. 45. Ground strafing, Czecho-slovakia
Unit Claims to Fame
Produced first 8AF ace-Cpt Charles London.
First triple kill on one mission by VIII FC pilot - Maj Eugene Roberts, 30 Jul. 1943.
Only 8AF group to fly all three main US fighter types, P-38, P-47 and P-51.
First strafing attack by P-47 pilot - Lt Q. L. Brown 30 Jul. 1943.
Brought down first Me262 jet claimed by 8AF - 28 Aug. 1944.
Held record for highest claims of enemy aircraft while strafing - 135 destroyed 16 Apr. 1945.
Early History:
Activated 9 Feb. 1942 at Baer Fd, Ind. Expansion and training at Hamilton Field, CA. in May of 1942 as one of the first groups selected to fly the P-38. Departing Hamilton in Nov. 1942. Sailed from New York on the Queen Elizabeth on the 24 of Nov. 1942.
Subsequent History:
Remained in United Kingdom until Oct. 1945. Aircraft moved to depots for disposal on Sep. 1945. Unit sailed from Southampton on the Queen Mary on the 11 Oct. 1945 and arrived in New York on the 16 Nov. 1945. Inactivated at Camp Kilmer, NJ, 18 Oct. 1945. Reactivated on the 20 Aug. 1946 at Straubing, Germany, by a renumbering of 368 FG. as an occupation force of P-47s. By Jun. 1947 Group disbanded and unit transferred to Mitchel Field, NY. Remained unmanned until Nov. 1948 when rebuilt as F-84 unit at Hamilton AFB, CA. Converted at Hamilton as 78FW and was a part of ADC with F-106 Delta Darts.
April 1943
No Date Mission
1 08/04/1943 Sweep of the Dunkirk-Sangatte Area
2 13/04/1943 Sweep of the St. Amer Area
3 13/04/1943 Sweep of the Berck-Mardyck Area
4 15/04/1943 Sweeps of the Furnes-St. Omer Area
5 17/04/1943 Sweeps of the Bruges-Flushing-Blankenburgh Area
6 17/04/1943 Sweep of the Walcheren-Bruges Area
7 21/04/1943 Sweeps of the Westhoofd-Noordwijk-The Hague Area
8 29/04/1943 Sweep of the Le Touquet-Hazebrouch-Dunkirk-Calais Area
The 78th fighter group made the following claims:
Air Destroyed Air Probable Air Damaged Ground Destroyed Ground Damaged
