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HONORED GUEST: Veteran WWII pilot recognized at center

  • Published
  • By Brandice Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., --  A white Cadillac DTS arrived at Bldg. 3001's main entrance Dec. 29. Its driver, Army Air Corps retired Maj. William "Skipper" McClendon, stepped out of the vehicle. Donned in a faded-blue dress uniform, with medals of yesteryear, Major McClendon, a native Oklahoman, greeted his friend Maj. Gen. Loren Reno, former Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander, at the base of the military honor cordon.

Unbeknownst to the major, the cordon was only the first of events General Reno had planned for his 90-year-old war-veteran friend.

Major McClendon was also honored with a special recognition ceremony for outstanding achievements throughout his military career. The ceremony took place in front of a packed Anaconda Room.

"When I think about service before self, I think of Skipper McClendon," said General Reno at the recognition ceremony, before presenting the major with a framed display of letters written about Major McClendon's dedication to service. "This is a great American."

William McClendon enlisted in the Army Infantry in 1936 upon graduation from high school in Mill Creek, Okla. While assigned to "K" Company, 1st Infantry at Fort Warren, now Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., Private McClendon showed interest in flight operations, and would watch the flyers after he finished with his daily work. His interest caught the attention of others and the private was offered flying lessons. He learned and paid the asking price of $5 per week.

In 1939, the private was reassigned to the Army Air Corps.

On Dec. 7, 1941, during the Pearl Harbor attacks, the private was stationed at Lowry Field, now Lowry AFB, Colo. The next day, the Lowry Field post commander requested the presence of Private McClendon in his office.

"(Private McClendon) knew if the squadron commander wanted to see him, he was in trouble," General Reno said. "If the group commander wanted to see him, he was in big trouble, and as he told me in his living room one day, if the post commander wanted to see him, you might as well pack your bags, because you were going home."

Contrary to Private McClendon's thoughts, the post commander wanted to send the private to officer candidate school in Miami, Fla. The post commander had heard about the private's flying abilities and said the Army Air Forces needed all the officers with flying experience it could get as the country entered World War II.

In 1943, 2nd Lt. McClendon was sent overseas. While in New Guinea, working as a service pilot on the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, his career took a nautical turn. One day, while he aided others as they attempted to install a motor on a boat, his group commander saw him and asked him what he knew about boats.

His knowledge was limited and could be summed up as, "the pointy end is in the front and the square end is in the back," Major McClendon has since said.

But, the group commander wasn't deterred. He saw something in the young lieutenant and assigned him to manage 21 boats that were commandeered from the local economy. For the remainder of the war, Lieutenant McClendon rescued allies from downed aircraft.


He worked with the 5th Air Force and later as the assistant adjutant for the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron. During this time, the lieutenant earned the nickname "Skipper" from British soldiers who didn't want to call him "lieutenant" because it signified the lowest officer rank.

Through the 2nd ERS, Lieutenant McClendon is credited with saving the lives of 722 people, of which he personally saved up to 30 individuals, officials said.

Lieutenant McClendon promoted to major before he retired in 1960. During his career, he also served in the Korean War and completed stateside assignments. He faced great military achievements, and when separated from his family, faced tremendous personal struggles.

Among them was while in New Guinea during World War II. Then-Lieutenant McClendon led a 40-foot pleasure boat with a crew of two enlisted members and two locals 2,400 miles into enemy waters to rescue five downed airmen. The trip took two months to reach the stranded airmen and several weeks to get back. They were never detected by the enemies.

He also received several medals, including the Purple Heart from when his base in New Guinea was bombed by the Japanese.

But, from the home-front, the lieutenant learned his wife had been killed in a car accident three months after the tragedy occurred. Furthermore, his family received news on two different occasions that he'd been killed in action.

Despite his rich military history, Major McClendon received little personal attribution for his efforts, until Dec. 29.

At a special recognition hosted by General Reno, on behalf of Lt. Gen. Edward Rice, 5th Air Force commander at Yokota Air Base, Japan, the major received recognition letters from Generals Rice and Reno, U.S. Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma, and U.S. Representative Dan Boren from Oklahoma.

"On behalf of the men and women of the 5th Air Force, I thank you for your dedicated selfless service to the United States Army Air Forces, the United States Air Force and our great country," General Rice wrote in a letter to Major McClendon. "Although 65 years have passed since you joined the 5th Air Force, your devotion to duty and fellow Airmen stand testimony to our Air Force heritage."

The major said he was in "total awe" by the recognition.

"Only in the United States could a country boy from Southern Oklahoma receive such honors, it doesn't happen anywhere else," Major McClendon said. "When General Reno asked me to come over and visit today, I most certainly wasn't looking for anything like this and I just don't know what to say, it's beyond me. Thank you so much, so very much."