Howard Hall
 Howard Hall ' 48, is part of an interesting UGA legacy and a member of the Greatest Generation. After completing his freshman year at North Georgia College in 1943, Hall enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He did his basic training in Mississippi and pre-flight school in Texas. He received his wings as a 19-year-old 2nd Lt. in Altus, OK. He was assigned to a B-24 heavy bomber crew and was stationed in Lincoln, NE and Topeka, KS before being sent overseas to the American Air Base in Cerignola, Italy. From there, the crew flew bombing missions to four countries. These bombings preceded the American troops advance into Germany. He was discharged from active service on May 8, 1945 after the war was over in Europe, but stayed in the Air Force Reserves. He occasionally attends the annual meeting of the 459th Bomb group, part of the 15th Air Force. His crew members had a reunion of their own in 1996 and he enjoyed seeing men with whom he had served that he had not seen in 51 years. The crew has met several times since. Following his active duty, Hall attended the University of Georgia in 1945 where he met the late Sarah Elizabeth (Betty) Willoughby of Eatonton, GA. They courted two years and married during their senior year. Betty taught school and their daughter, Haley, did graduate work in Art History at UGA. Their grandson, Mark Blanchard ' 88, was a member of the Red Coat Band. He later finished medical college and presently resides in Moultrie, GA. Hall's brother Jack ' 48 graduated from the UGA School of Forestry, and their sister did graduate work at Georgia.
From the preface of Air War Over Europe: My Experiences with the 459th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, World War II by Howard Hall Jr., published Oct. 10, 1994. We were at 20,000 feet; a foot long icicle hung from my oxygen mask, and black flowers of flak were opening around us. Just ahead lay Prague, Czechoslovakia, and the Herman Goering ball bearing factory. The date was March 25, 1945. After the mission ended, we discovered how lucky we had been. There was only one hole from German anti-aircraft in our B-24; it happened to be three feet behind my seat.
I was a 20 year old second lieutenant on my first combat mission. Home was a tent on a muddy field in rural Cerignola, Italy. We had been briefed on our target in the predawn hours in the old winery which served as headquarters for the 459th bomb group.
I had joined the Army Air Corps at age 17, to be called for active duty after my 18th birthday. When I was called to active duty, I was a third quarter freshman at North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Georgia.
On August 4, 1944, I received my pilots wings at Altus, Oklahoma. I had received my training at San Antonio and Cuero, Texas; and Enid and Altus, Oklahoma. From there, it was combat training with a B-24 crew in Pueblo, Colorado. We then picked up a shiny brand new B-24 bomber at Topeka, Kansas, which we flew to Cerignola, Italy. A veteran crew immediately claimed the new aircraft, and we were given one of the old war-weary clunkers.
Living conditions and food at Cerignola were semi-primitive. The menu was dried food and spam, relieved only by the occasional fresh egg bought from the villagers. Our lighting system consisted of candles. We moved into a tent which had been used by a crew which had been recently lost in combat; we had to remove their toothpaste and other personal items which had not been shipped home to their parents or wives. The floor of our tent was made of boards from bomb crates, under which lived several families of European rats who made midnight raids to steal our socks for their nesting material.
By the time the war ended on May 8, 1945, I had flown my 10th combat mission. The 459th Bomb Group really celebrated. I think another fellow and I were the only sober ones in the entire outfit. The colonel was under the table and our squadron c.o. was throwing bottles at the mess hall. All in all, I wrote my brother Jack, it was quite a gala event.
From the preface of Air War Over Europe: My Experiences with the 459th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, World War II by Howard Hall Jr., published Oct. 10, 1994. We were at 20,000 feet; a foot long icicle hung from my oxygen mask, and black flowers of flak were opening around us. Just ahead lay Prague, Czechoslovakia, and the Herman Goering ball bearing factory. The date was March 25, 1945. After the mission ended, we discovered how lucky we had been. There was only one hole from German anti-aircraft in our B-24; it happened to be three feet behind my seat.
I was a 20 year old second lieutenant on my first combat mission. Home was a tent on a muddy field in rural Cerignola, Italy. We had been briefed on our target in the predawn hours in the old winery which served as headquarters for the 459th bomb group.
I had joined the Army Air Corps at age 17, to be called for active duty after my 18th birthday. When I was called to active duty, I was a third quarter freshman at North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Georgia.
On August 4, 1944, I received my pilot's wings at Altus, Oklahoma. I had received my training at San Antonio and Cuero, Texas; and Enid and Altus, Oklahoma. From there, it was combat training with a B-24 crew in Pueblo, Colorado. We then picked up a shiny brand new B-24 bomber at Topeka, Kansas, which we flew to Cerignola, Italy. A veteran crew immediately claimed the new aircraft, and we were given one of the old war-weary clunkers.
Living conditions and food at Cerignola were semi-primitive. The menu was dried food and spam, relieved only by the occasional fresh egg bought from the villagers. Our lighting system consisted of candles. We moved into a tent which had been used by a crew which had been recently lost in combat; we had to remove their toothpaste and other personal items which had not been shipped home to their parents or wives. The floor of our tent was made of boards from bomb crates, under which lived several families of European rats who made midnight raids to steal our socks for their nesting material.
By the time the war ended on May 8, 1945, I had flown my 10th combat mission. The 459th Bomb Group really celebrated. I think another fellow and I were the only sober ones in the entire outfit. The colonel was under the table and our squadron c.o. was throwing bottles at the mess hall. All in all, I wrote my brother Jack, it was quite a gala event.
2nd Lt Howard W Hall Jr was assigned to the 459th BG 759th Squadron.
Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): Pilot.
The following information on Howard Hall is gathered and extracted from military records. We have many documents and copies of documents, including military award documents. It is from these documents that we have found this information on 2nd Lt Hall. These serviceman's records are nowhere near complete and we are always looking for more material. If you can help add to Howard Hall's military record please contact us.
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Rank |
General Order |
Date |
Notes |
Award |
Ribbon & Device |
Howard Hall |
2nd Lt |
2957 |
05/02/1945 |
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AM |
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