
James William Hendon, Jr.
His
lineage:
Josias
Hendon > Isham Hendon
> Robinson Hendon > Johnson
Hendon > James A. Hendon >
Johnson M. Hendon > Erastus
Tillman Hendon >
James W. Hendon > James
William Hendon, Jr.
James William Hendon Jr. was born in
Canton, Cherokee County, Georgia on 10
Dec 1925. He enrolled
at 'The Citadel' to
futher his education and was among the
'Class of 46.' He must have left
school early because he enlisted in
the Army Air Corps 27 Jan 1944.
Nineteen-year-old James was nicknamed
'Rebel', probably due to his southern
heritage. He was assigned to the 550th
Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group
stationed at Great Ashfield, England.
James, a Ball Turrent Gunner,
became a member of the infamous
'Rusecky' crew on a B-17 'flying
fortress,' achiving the rank of SSgt.
While on a bombing mission to Ulm,
Germany, the aircraft had a Mid-air
collision on 1 Mar 1945 over
Ostend, Belgium with another
American bomber, B-17 43-38273
(also 550th). Eight of James'
crew members were killed. The lone survivor was
waist gunner Sgt Stanley
Lejkowski. (Note):
129 B-17 bombers
from Great Ashfield
were lost during the
War.
James
William
Hendon, Jr. is buried at Ardennes
American
Cemetery

Roger W. Hendon
His lineage
: James Hendon > Isham C. Hendon
> Benjamin Norris Hendon > Stephen
Duncan Hendon > William Thomas
Hendon > Roger W. Hendon
Roger W.
Hendon was born 6 Oct 1919, Neshoba County,
Mississippi. He enlisted in the US Army on
27 Feb 1940 and was assigned to HQ Co., 1st
Infantry Division (The Big Red ONE). On
D-Day, Roger's company was part of the
Allied invasion at Normandy, France. SSgt
Roger Hendon was awarded two
silver stars for gallantry on that
day. SSgt Roger Hendon was one of just
a few to receive **two
silvers stars for action during the
same battle. On 5 Aug 1944, SSgt Hendon was
awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he
suffered during the D-Day landing at
Normandy. Roger W. Hendon died 17 Jul
1978 at Long Beach, CA.
**Our
nation's
third highest service medal, the Silver
Star, is awarded to a person who, while
serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army,
is cited for gallantry in action against an
enemy of the United States while engaged in
military operations involving conflict with
an opposing foreign force. The required
gallantry, while of a lesser degree than
that required for the Congressional Medal of
Honor or the Distinguished Service Cross,
must nevertheless have been performed with
marked distinction.

Clifford Daniel Hendon