James A. LeNoir
Staff Sergeant Army Air Corps WWII Veteran, Crew member in B-24 Liberator, Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters
Staff Sergeant James LeNoir served in the Army Air Corps from February 1943 to October 1945 where he served as a Ball Gunner and a Waist Gunner on a B-24 Liberator.
Sergeant Lenoir was awarded the Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters for his many accomplishments in Air Combat Operations. His acco¬lades included the successful completion of 35 missions, earning him the E. A. M. E (European, African, Middle Eastern) Theater Ribbon with three Bronze Battle Stars for participating in the Northern France, Ar-dennes and the Rhineland Campaigns.
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Staff Sergeant LeNoir was also awarded the American Theater Medal for service as Senior Instructor at the B-29 Gunnery School.
He performed heroically on many of his missions by saving his team members multiple times when they had suffered crippling injuries while trapped in bomb bays while in battle. Jim's plane, in one instance, was damaged and was forced to land. He returned to England and returned to battle to fight in ten additional missions.
After the war he began his 45 years of service in the manufacturing di¬vision of Hercules, Inc. As a dedicated worker, his efforts paid off and he eventually achieved the position of Senior Lab Technician. To his success, his effort and support helped lead to the development of the Hedgehog and Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
Jim has been an active member of the Second Air Division Association 855th Bombardment Squadron since World War II and locally has been a participant and supporter of VFW Post 615 and Post 2856.
He is considered an invaluable member of his community and has spent many hours as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.
