Tommy Y. Hernandez
Joined 93rd Bomb Group, 409th Bomb Squadron, Hardwick on Jan. 21, 1944. Flew 34 combat missions; shot down two ME-109s. Survived a crash landing at Manston on his 13th mission and bailed out over Norwich on his 33rd mission (member of the Caterpillar Club). Flew his 24th mission on his 19th birthday — believed to be one of the youngest airmen in the 2nd Air Division. Flew two missions on D-Day.
Sortie Log
24 FEB 1944 — 22 MAY 1944
The sorties below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.
Born June 4, 1925 in San Diego, CA. Entered USAAC on Jan. 17, 1943 during his senior year of high school (lied about his age). Basic training at Keesler Field, MS; Armorer School at Buckley and Lowry Fields, Denver, CO; Gunnery School at Harlingen, TX. Crew assignment at Wendover Field, UT; additional training at Davis-Monthan Field, AZ; Alamogordo, NM; Lincoln, NE; Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, FL.