Crisp-Turner County GaArchives Military Records.....ODOM, 1ST LT WILLIAM July 20, 1944
WWII U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
WYLIE SHEPPARD JR http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007303 July 30, 2011, 10:49 am

LT ODOM'S FRIEND TELLS OF LAST MISSION
. FIRST LIEUTENANT WILLIAM ''DUB'' ODOM, OF ASHBURN,GEORGIA,FLIGHT LEADER AT A P-47
THUNDERBOLT FIGHTER BASE IN ENGLAND IS MISSING.
 WITH THE ODDS FOUR TO ONE AGAINEST HIM, ON A RECENT BOMBER ESCORT MISION OVER
BELGIUM,LIEUT. ODOM LED HIS FOUR P-47'S TO ATTACK SIXTEEN GERMAN FIGHTERS HARRASSING
A BOX OF TARGET BOUND BOMBERS. WHEN THE SKY FINALLY CLEARED OF THE DIVING,
ZOOMING,FIRING PLANES, THE BOMBLADEN LIBERATORS,UNHARMED AND STILL IN FORMATION,
WERE STILL ON COURSE FOR THEIR TARGET.
 ''I WAS FLYING  OLD DUB'S WING WITH THE BOMBERS ABOVE AND TO THE LEFT OF US.''
REPORTED LIEUT. TOM LORANCE, ERNON,TEXAS, ODOM'S CLOSEST FRIEND.''WHEN WE SPOTTED
SIXTEEN MESSERSCHMITT 109'S ATTACKING ON THE BOMBERS' REAR.
 ''DUB MUST HAVE REALIZED THAT THERE WASN'T TIME FOR US TO JOCKEY FOR POSITION, FOR
HE SIGNALED FOR  US TO MOVE IN AND GET TO WORK.
 THE FOUR THUNDERBOLTS CLIMBED UP TOWARDS JERRY'S SIXTEEN. THEY WERE AT A
DISADVANTAGE, JERRY WAS ABOVE,WITH THE SUN AT HIS BACK. BUT THE LIBS WERE IN TROUBLE
AND DUB WAS TO HELP.
 A REAL OLD-FASHIONED DOG FIGHT FOLLOWED WITH TWENTY POWERFUL FIGHTERS SCREAMING
ACROSS THE SKIES, FIRING AS THEY FLEW; TWISTING TURNING,DIVING. LIEUT.ODOM'S
THUNDERBOLTS,HEAVILY OUT-NUMBERED,HELD THEIR OWN ,UNTIL JERRY,USING A TACTIC THAT
CAN'T BE BEATEN WHEN THE ODDS ARE ON YOUR SIDE,STARTED FLYING IN A GREAT
CIRCLE'LOSING ALTITUDE TO GET TO THEIR BEST LEVEL.
 ''WE FLEW ROUND AND ROUND,'' LIEUT. LORANCE COMTINUED,''AND I COULD SEE DUB
SHOOTING HELL OUT OF THE LAST 'CHARACTER.'
 ''I'M SURE HE GOT HIM ,TOO, BUT OF COURSE, HE CAN'T CLAIM HIM.''
 '' AT THIS TIME THOSE BANDITS KEPT COMING AT US FROM ABOVE,FIRING, THEN DIVING DOWN
AND AWAY.I SAW DUB CHASING HIS JERRY IN A DIVE. I NEVER SAW A GUY PRESS AN ATTACK
THE WAY HE DID THAT DAY. A MOMENT LATER THEY BOTH DISAPPEARED INTO A CLOUD AND I
HEARD SOMEONE SHOUT,''THERE'S SOMEONE ON MY TAIL! WHERE IS EVERYBODY?' I'M SURE IT
WAS DUB, I PULLED UP OUT OF THE CLOUDS TO SEE IF I COULD FIND HIM
 BUT I COULDN'T FIND A PLANE ANYWHERE.
 LT ODOM WAS FLYING '' FLAMIN' MAMIE'', THE THUNDERBOLT HE NAMED FOR HIS GIRL.MISS
FRANCES RODERICK, OF EL PASO,TEXAS. IT WAS THE SAME SHIP OF WHICH HE FESTROYED TWO
ENEMY FIGHTERS OF TWENTY TWO SHOT DOWN BY THUNDERBOLTS IN ONE DAY . HE HOLDS THE AIR
MEDAL'' FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN AERIAL FLIGHT OVER ENEMY OCCUPIED EUROPE'', PLUS
THREE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS. HE WAS THE FIRST MAN IN THE GROUP TO RECEIVE THE COVETED
DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS. 
 LIUT. ODOM,23, WAS THE SON OF MR AND MRS W.W. ODOM OF ASHBURN,GA. HE WAS GRADUATED
FROM ASHBURN HIGH SCHOOL IN 1935 AND LATER GEORGIA MILITARY COLLEGE AND THE
UNIVERSITY OF GA. BEFORE ENTERING THE ARMY HE WAS A PILOT FOR THE AIRCRAFT SALES AND
MANUFACTURING COMPANY AT ATLANTA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.
 HE HAS BEEN FLYING SWEEPS , BOMBER ESCORT AND FIGHTER-BOMBER MISSIONS UNDER THE
BANNER OF THE IGHTH FIGHTER COMMAND IN ENGLAND  SINCE JUNE
File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/crisp/military/ww2/other/odom1481mt.txt

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