With the Armed Forces SOONERS with the 45th Division, participat- mushiro, the northernmost Japanese base ing in the thick of battle at Salerno, were in the Kurile Islands. an important force in stopping the Ger- Interviewed later in Seattle, Washing- man spearhead which threatened to drive ton, Lieutenant Purnell commented, "We the Allied troops into the sea. didn't think we'd ever get back." Home Particular credit went to Lt. Col. Hal on leave in August after no summer in a Muldrow, '28bus, Norman, who, during year and a half, Lieutenant Purnell was the critical period, stripped his gun crews assigned to Tampa, Florida. to arm his artillerymen. The Nazi drive was stopped and several days later Ger- Decorations man troops began an inland retreat. Award of 32 more decorations to Soon- er alumni brought the total number of Also credited with notable action during decorations won since Pearl Harbor to 174, the battle was Lt. Col. Edwin Stephenson, according to war rec- '40m.ed, Oklahoma City, of the Infantry . Sooner Magazine's ords. An account of the fighting at Salerno Lt. Carleton G. Shead, '37eng, Norman, which appeared in Time magazine was as was awarded an Oak Leaf follows : Cluster for courage displayed in bringing a heavily hit Lt . Col. Edwin Stephenson and three enlisted bomber through an encounter with Nazi men saw a German tank running clown a road fighter planes after a successful bombing and knocking down U. S. infantrymen like bowl- ing pins . Another tank headed for Colonel attack on a German war base. Stephenson, Corporals Perry Barker and Alvin The ceremony at which the medal was Copeland and Private Eli Franklin . The Colonel presented took place at an Air Force Base said : "Boys, let's stay ." HELPED TURN THE TIDE in England. The Oak Leaf Cluster was "Yes, sir," they said . They and the Colonel added crawled into a ditch by the road, fired when the to an Air Medal Lieutenant Shead Lt. Col. Hal Muldrow, '28bus, and his ar- already held, according to the official tank was ten feet away . The tank began smok- tillerymen are credited in large measure an- ing and the German crew, screaming with pain, nouncement . He is the son of A. C. with throwing back the German spearhead started to climb from the turret . Colonel Stephen- Shead, University chemistry professor, and son said : "My men cut them down one by one during critical hours at Salerno. Mrs . Shead. with rifles as they climbed out." Lt. xxxxx At the height of the German threat, bomber piloted by Lt. M. H. Higgins, '40, Charles R. Stewart, '39240, Okla- warships, including two British battleships (War- Duncan, was in a group of raiders over homa City, was awarded a Distinguished spite, Valiant), shelled the Nazi positions. Allied Berlin in August . On one return trip, the Flying Cross and an Air Medal with Oak air forces threw many hundreds of planes at the bombers were attacked by 75 enemy Leaf Cluster for more than 400 hours of same positions, flew 2,000 sorties in one day. At combat the extreme crisis, artillerymen under Lt . Col . fighters which were driven off by a group and patrol flying in the South Pa- Hal Muldrow, one of the many Oklahomans, of Thunderbolt escorts. cific. were the only forces facing German tanks and Pilot of a Flying Fortress called pilot Calam- infantrymen. Capt. Ellis Brown, '39eng, bomber ity lane, he has flown on more than 70 Muldrow stripped his gun crews, gave them from Duncan, took part in August raids missons at Guadalcanal. Lieutenant Stew- rifles and machine guns . The German spearhead on Salamaua when Liberators blasted Jap- . the art was home on leave in August, saw his was stopped, enveloped, thrown back Near anese batteries and started large fires. He northern end of the bridgehead the British stop- three-months-old daughter Linda Sue for promoted from first lieuten- ped a German advance, seized the town and air- was recently the first time. field of Montecorvino Pugliano . On the eleventh ant at his post in New Guinea . clay a reporter flying over the line saw columns Lieutenant Jack C. Martin, '39-'40, Al- Johnson, '39240, Oklahoma of Germans retreating inland . Capt. Roy tus, former engineering student in the Uni- City, piloted a Flying Fortress on a bomb- versity, received an Air Medal from the ing raid over Bolzano, Italy, just south of Missions Accomplished Alaskan Defense Command for valiant the Brenner Pass, early in September. Sooner fliers last month were reported and heroic service on flying missions in serving with Allied Air Forces in contin- After returning to his North African the Aleutians. base, Captain Johnson wrote an account ually increasing raids on enemy territory The accompanying citation pointed out Dur- in scattered sectors of the globe. of the raid for the Associated Press. that flying weather in the Aleutians is Lt. David Barbour, '38-'41, Norman, was ing the flight northward over Italy a few worse than in any other theater of the war. fighters appeared, the pilot reported, but a member of a Troop Carrier squadron Capt. Denver after they were driven off he had time to Davison, '36-'41, Okla- taking part in the first invasion of Sicily . homa City, was awarded an Air Medal for A dispatch from the area stated, "Prior admire the mountain scenery below. ten months of service in North Africa and to the Capt Max Wiecks, departure of the group on the vital . '39law, Ponca City, for his participation in the invasion of mission, Lieutenant Barbour aided was credited with shooting down a Zero in final Sicily. He is credited officially with shoot- preparation for the dropping over New Guinea in mid-August. As- of American ing down one Messerschtnitt and has sev- paratroopers on dispatches the historic island." sociated Press from that area eral "probables ." This same group, of which stated that American fliers downed Lieutenant 11 Captain Davison was in the first squad- Barbour is a member, has been in action medium bombers, 2 dive bombers and 14 ron to land in Morocco months ago. in North Africa, ferrying fighters belonging to the Japanese . Paratroopers, Home on leave in August, he saw his son gasoline, ammunition and supplies and Lt. William F. Purnell, Jr., '36-'38, Denver III for the first time evacuating wounded. Mrs. Oklahoma City, was one of the navigators Davison is the former Susan Norris, '4lba, 'T ain't a Bird, an Army Air Force on the mid-July bombing raid on Para- of Ada . 8 SOONER MAGAZINE Lt. Wheeler N. Burkett, '37-'38, Okla- Pilot of a Liberator bomber at Guadal- Capt. Harry D. Lewis, '39, Stigler, homa City, received the Order of the Pur- canal, Lieutenant Battenfield has partici- member of a Troop Carrier squadron, was ple Heart for wounds received in aerial pated in a number of raids against the Jap- awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to add to action over Europe while serving as navi- anese. Mrs. Battenfield (Josephine Bow- an Air Medal for meritorious achievements gator on a bomber lack the Ripper. en, '40bus) is employed in the University with the Army Air Force in Sicily. He His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Extension Division . won the Air Medal for "dangerous flying" Burkett, Oklahoma City, were informed Lt. (jg) Alfred Naifeh, '37ba, '40law, in North Africa . that he would be released from an English Norman, who was killed in South Pacific Maj . Elmer G. Schoggen, Jr., '37-'39, hospital in August . naval action in November, 1942, was Little Rock, Arkansas, pilot of a Flying Capt. E. Bruce January, '40, Norman, awarded posthumously the Navy and Ma- Fortress, holds the Distinguished Flying received the Order of the Purple Heart rine Corps Medal. Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the for wounds received during an enemy The award was made "for heroic con- Air Medal with one Cluster. bombing raid on Sicily. Mrs. January duct and outstanding devotion to duty in Major Schoggen returned to duty in the (Betty Read, '41fa) and their daughter caring for survivors clinging to life rafts United States last month after serving in Judith Anne live in Norman. after the sinking of the U. S. S. Meredith." the South Pacific since the outbreak of the Lt. (jg) William Perry war. He was Carmichael, '28- The accompanying citation read in part, stationed at Hickam Field, '29, Norman, received the Order of the "With complete disregard for his own per- Hawaii, when the first attack came, saw Purple Heart for injuries his plane blasted in received in sea sonal safety, Lieutenant Naifeh persisted its hangar. Since then action near Guadalcanal he has put in 550 . in constantly swimming around the rafts, operational hours in the The action was war zone. described by Sidney rendering invaluable aid to the men who Shalett in his recent book Old Nameless, were wounded or exhausted. As a conse- Lt. Col. Julian M. Bleyer, '34, Tulsa, an Epic of a U. S. Battlewagon, in which quence of his continued valiant efforts to has been awarded the Distinguished Ser- he stated that Lieutenant Carmichael, then hold these men to the rafts, he himself was vice Cross for his participation in the Au- an ensign, caught a piece of shell in his completely overcome by exhaustion which gust raid on the Ploesti oil fields in Ru- arm as he stood watch during the firing . ultimately resulted in his death." mania. He commanded a formation over After a brief leave to recuperate, Lieuten- Ploesti which was under attack for two ant Carmichael returned to sea duty.