KEITH L. McCOMB

U. S. Army Air Force

Rank – Corporal

1943 – 1945       Combat

European Theater

Military Honors and Awards:

Good Conduct Medal

Europe Rhineland Ribbon, 3 Bronze Stars

Presidential Citation

Victory Medal

Marksmanship Medal

“I was assigned to 162^nd tactical Reconnaissance P-51 Photo-Fighter Planes installing cameras and film in P-51 Recon. before each mission.   After mission removed film and delivered it to be developed.   I would then take the pictures over to General Patton’s Intelligence Department for his advancing army.”  

One experience I had was during the Battle of the Bulge.   It was 1944 and Christmas time.   We were stationed near Nancy, France.   The weather was bad and we were pinned down with snow and below freezing weather.   I was sent to pick up a box in my photo jeep and drive to our line.   I was surprised to see everyone out on the runway shoveling snow.   My pilot buddy said, “Let’s unload the box.”   We took off the overseas shipping material and I grabbed the box and hugged it.   The pilot said, “What are you doing?”  I said, “Look what it says, Wayne Pump Co. from Ft. Wayne, Indiana.”    He said, “Give it another hug, because we are going to uncrate it.”   It was a machine that generated heat.   We started the machine and fastened a canvas around the engine of our airplanes to warm the oil.   One by one we got the P-51’s started and they took off for Belgium.   We were happy to have had a little to do with winning that battle.   That day I sure was proud to be from Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  

VETERAN OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES

JACK McCOMB

U. S. Navy – Electrician’s Mate 2^nd  Class

1950 – 1954        Non-Combat

Pacific Theater

Honors and Awards:

Good Conduct Medal

Honorable Discharge

                                                Jack McComb

                             November 11, 1930-August 7, 2000

Jack entered the Naval Reserves in January 1950.  In March 1952 he was called to active duty.  He was sent to Great Lakes and then to Fresno, California.  He was stationed on the U.S.S. Karen.  The U.S.S. Karen is a refrigeration ship that sailed between Fresno, California and Sasebo, Japan.  He was an electrician’s mate second class.  Their duty was to sail from Sasebo into Korean waters to supply the battleships with food for their crews.  He also was responsible for getting movies for the crew of the U.S.S. Karen and showing them in the evenings in addition to his other duties.

Jack was honorably discharged from the Navy in January 1954, after serving his country for four years.

VETERAN OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES

JOSEPH S. McCOMB

Army  -  Rank  E-5

Thialand

Military Honors and Awards:

Good Conduct

“I was proud to serve my country”

Served in Thailand – Engineer Battalion

We built roads and poured concrete.  The purpose of the 538^th was to build part of the new blacktop road through the King’s Forest from Kabin Buri to Khorat.  It was called the Friendship Highway and was figured to increase Thailand’s resistance in case of Communist attack.  The air base was at Khorat and the road could be used to carry bombs from the seaport to be loaded on the planes there. 

I learned a lot about the right way, wrong way and Army way.  They never seemed to have the right tools for the job.  Having been in construction all my life, I knew the value of having good tools and equipment.  I learned very quickly though, that a lot of the things we consider essential here in the United States, we can do without.  And, I don’t think anything can ever happen to me in the construction field that I can’t improvise a way out of.  I am proud to have con-tributed my bit to Uncle Sam.