The Early Years
(12 Jul 1921 -
27 Jan 1942)
Army Air Forces
(28 Jan 1942 -
1 Aug 1943)
Post Ploesti
(2 Aug 1943 -
Present)
Official MOH Citations:
2nd Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes
(Lloyd "Pete" Herbert Hughes, Jr. - 12 Jul 1921 - 1 Aug 1943)
Source: Newspaper article from Page 14 of The Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, USA, dated Wednesday Evening, 19 Apr 1944.
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Medal Goes to Ploesti Raid Hero
SAN ANTONIO, Apr 19 - (UP) - The Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest decoration was the proud possession today of Mrs. Hazel Dean Hughes of San Antonio, widow of an AAF lieutenant who died in last August's raid on the Ploesti oil fields of Romania.
Mrs. Hughes was presented the medal yesterday by Lt. Gen. Barton K. Yount, commanding general of the AAF flying training command, in ceremonies at Kelly field.
Hughes was killed when his plane crashed in an attempted forced landing immediately after it had unloaded its bombs on its target despite the facts that the plane was leaking gasoline profusely. The pilot had elected to complete his bombing run before attempting a landing when he might have safely executed an emergency landing before reaching the target. the citation accompanying the medal said.
First published: April 08, 2009
Last updated: August 22, 2010
