World War II
2nd Lt Samuel Seay Pattillo
7th Bomb Group-Army Air Forces- KIA
Read another page about this group

Photo of a B-17E
died 8 Feb 1942 at sea-Surbaya Borneo
in the Flores Sea-Indonesia
His Plane was a B-17E -No 41-2456

Fort Worth Star Telegram 26 Apr 1941

Fort Worth Star Telegram 18 Feb 1942 Fort Worth Star-Telegram 13 Feb 1943

Fort Worth Star Telegram

27 Mar 1942 He was Denisons' 2nd casualty in the Far East; First fatality

from Denison in WWII. The Fred W. Wilson-Sam Pattillo American Legion Post in Denison is named for the two soldiers.
His parents were George P Pattillo & Lula Elizabeth O'Hara Pattillo.
He was born in Denison, Grayson, Texas 1 Sep 1918.
His service number 0-412152
Read about this crew and B-17

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This article was in a Pattillo page in the Veterans Section, it has been moved to Gold Star Veterans.

Sam Pattillo had received his wings from Kelly Field in San Antonio on  April 25, 1941, and after Pearl Harbor, was one of the first men sent to the Pacific. He received the  Silver Star and the Distinguished Service  Cross for gallantry in action in the South Pacific. He was acting as navigator on the leading ship of a flight of B-17s on Feb. 8, 1942, when the Yanks were intercepted by Japanese fighters and his plane was shot down.
Early on Jan. 16, after a bombing raid at Mandoa, Clebes, where the plane destroyed one large transport and damaged another, then in a 55-minute battle, shot down sever of 15 attacking enemy fighters. Sam gained his two awards in that run, one of his engines was shot out and the plane finally had to put down at Kendari, where enemy planes constantly strafed the field.

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 Memorials

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial
A Memorial Stone is in the Fairview Cemetery in Denison

A Virtual Cemetery in Find a Grave
has been made with all of the crew

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Grayson County Military Page
Susan Hawkins
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