Paul L Van Cleef
Military365 Fighter Group
387 Fighter Squadron
Paul L Van Cleef Via American Air Museum Memory Book correspondence.
Lt Col Paul L Van Cleef, USAF (Ret), flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in the 365th Fighter Group, 387th Fighter Squadron from December 1943 until the end of the war in 1945. He was stationed at Gosfield, Essex, England in December 23, 1943 and moved to Beaulieu, Hants, England on March 5, 1944. He went to France on 27 June, 1944.
Lt Col Van Cleef flew 110 combat missions and was awarded the Air Medal with 16 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, European Theater of Operation Ribbon with 6 Battle Stars, Distinguished Unit Citation with Cluster, Belgian Croix de Guerre (2) and Belgian Fourragere. He retired from USAF on January 1, 1971.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Fontanay-Sur-Mer
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Brétigny-sur-Orge
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Chièvres Air Base
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Salina, Kansas | 6 April 1921 | |
Enlisted |
1 April 1942 | Ft Riley, Kansas | |
Based |
Gosfield | 23 December 1943 - 3 May 1944 | |
Based |
Dover Army Air Base | 3 May 1944 - 27 June 1944 | |
Other Retired |
1 January 1971 | ||
Died |
Lafayette, Indiana | 3 May 2014 | |
Buried |
Salina, Kansas | 6 May 2014 | Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery Salina, Saline County, Kansas, USA |
Revisions
Added ASN upon entry, officer number, enlistment date and corrected AM count to reflect AM with 16 Oak Leaf Clusters, totaling 17 Air Medals per NARA files.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129666064/paul-l-vancleef