2nd Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes
(Lloyd "Pete" Herbert Hughes, Jr. - 12 Jul 1921 - 1 Aug 1943)

Medal of Honor Ceremony
Honoring 2nd Lt. Lloyd Herbert "Pete" Hughes
Class of 1943

Opening Remarks and Introductions - Col. Jake Betty '73, Chief of Staff

Invocation - Cadet Lt. Col. John Griffin '09, Corps Chaplain

The Story of Lloyd "Pete" Hughes '43 - Col. James Woodall '50, Commandant, 1977-82

Medal of Honor Citation - Col. Bryan Bartels '82, Professor of Aerospace Studies

Presentation of Medal of Honor to Texas A&M University - Hughes/Jordan Family

Placing of Medal of Honor in Hughes Display - Hughes/Jordan Family

Closing Remarks - Col. Jake Betty '73

Reception

Second Lieutenant Lloyd Herbert "Pete" Hughes '43

Lloyd H. "Pete" Hughes was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on July 12, 1921. He grew up on Refugio, Texas and graduated from Refugio High School where he was a star athlete and captain of the football team.

Entering Texas A&M in the fall of 1939, he was a member of Company G Infantry. He attended the fall semester in 1939 and the fall semester in 1941. In January 1942, shortly after America entered World War II, he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet, and upon graduation from flight school, was commissioned a second lieutenant. After receiving his pilot wings in April 1943 [sic], he was assigned to the 564th Bomb Squadron, 389th Bomb Group at Lowry Field, Colorado. The unit was deployed to England in June 1943 and assigned to the 8th Air Force.

Shortly after arriving in England, the unit was loaned to the 9th Air Force for a special mission to bomb the oil refineries in Romania. The unit flew to North Africa and was stationed near Benghazi, Libya. After flying bombing missions over Crete, Sicily, and Italy, Hughes took part in the famous Raid on Ploesti, Romania on August 1, 1943.

Flying his B-24 bomber "Ole Kickapoo" at low-level through heavy anti-aircraft fire, his plane was hit and badly damaged. Ignoring orders to break off the attack, Hughes maintained formation and dropped his bombs on target causing considerable damage. With his B-24 enveloped in fire, he attempted to land in a dry stream bed, but his plane crashed and burned. Only two of the ten-man crew survived the crash. Hughes became the first Texas Aggie to be awarded the Medal of Honor.