Virgil Joseph Mary

Portrait of Virgil Joseph Mary
Bio

Born in Willows, California, February 26, 1918 Graduated from the Live Oak Union High School, Morgan Hill, California, June 1936
Enrolled in the University of California, Davis, January 193 Two-Year Curriculum
Graduated with HONORS, May 1941

Military Service

MILITARY HISTORY
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Military Training

Enlisted Army of the United States as a Private, 29 May 1941; assigned to Hq & Hq Sq, 69th AB Gp, (Sp), 374th School Sq, & 374th Two-Engine Flying Training Sq, Stockton Field, California.
Promoted to Corporal, 2 October 1941; Promoted to Sergeant, 1 February 1942; Promoted to Staff Sergeant, 1 May 1942.
Appointed Aviation Cadet, 18 December 1942.
Dec 1942 to Apr 1943; AF Classification Center & AF Preflight School, Santa Ana AAB, California.
Apr 1943 to Jun 1943; 11th AAF Flying Detachment (Primary), Tueson, Arizona.
Jul 1943 - Aug 1943; Hq & Hq Sq, 303d Basic Fly Tng Gp, Pecos AAF, Texas.
Aug 1943 to Nov 1943; 317th Two-Engine Fly Tng Gp, AAF Advanced Flying School, Williams Field, Arizona. Graduated from the Aviation Cadet Training Program as Pilot, 2 November 1943 and honorably discharged.

COMMISSIONED second Lieutenant, AUS, 3 November 1943; accepted and entered on active duty same date.

Active Service Assignments

Nov 1943 to Dec 1943; Pilot, 371st Fighting Squadron, 360th Fighting Group, Salinas, California.
Dec 1944 to Feb 1944; Pilot, 337th Ftr Sq, 329th Ftr Gp, Glendale & Ontario, California.
Feb 1944 to Mar 1944; Pilot, 454th Ftr Sq, 478th Ftr Gp, Salinas, California.
Mar 1944 to Apr 1944; Pilot, Trainee, 496th Ftr Tng Gp, European Theater of Operations.
Apr 1944 to July 1944; Pilot, 402nd Ftr Sq, 370th Ftr Gp, ETO.
In Service 3 years, 1 month and 19 days.

Lieutenant Mary was killed in action 17 July 1944, over Normandy, France.

Decorations and Awards

PURPLE HEART (Posthumous).
AIR MEDAL with Four Oak Leaf Clusters*
AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL.
AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL.
EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL with two Bronze Service Stars for participation in the Air Offensive Europe and Normandy Campaigns.
WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL.
AVIATION BADGE ‘Pilot’.

INTERMENT: United States National .Cemetery, San Bruno, California.

* During his four months service overseas, Lt. Mary completed 33 missions into enemy territory.

 

Branch of Service