From phone interview with retired Col David Lyster Aug. 2003
Graduated as 2nd Lt in 1940 and Stationed at March Field in California.  I was part of the 19th Bomb Group (Capt William Veal was also stationed there) at March Field when Pearl Harbor was attacked.  In March 1942 I was promoted to Capt and was with the 46th Bomb Squadron, 41st Bomb Group doing Anti-submarine patrol off the West Coast.  We were stationed at Alemeda Naval Air Station.  Stayed there until Sept 1942 when the 46BS/41 BG was transferred to Cherry Point NC for Anti Submarine patrol in the Atlantic and Eastern seaboard.  During this time we were flying Lockheed Hudsons.  We would also go up to Langley to train in B-24's.  This duty lasted from Sept 1942 until Spring 1943 whereby I was transferred to NYC and the Headquarters AAF Anti-Submarine Command, East Coast.  My duty there was as a Controller.  This lasted until Nov 1943 when I was stationed in Savannah to Transition Crews for deployment in European Theater of Operations. My job was in Operations and I had attained the rank of Major by this time.  In June 1944 myself and two other eventual 100th BG personnel Maj. Charles Martin and Maj. Jack Wallace (both of whom I had graduated flying school with: Martin in primary and Wallace in advanced) put our names on lists requesting combat operations in the ETO. Our requests were granted and I was sent to the 486th Bomb Group stationed at Sudbury in August of 1944.  I had flown 5-6 missions training as a Command Pilot with the 486th BG when the 100th Bomb Group lost 12 Crews  on Sept. 11, 1944 mission to Ruhland.  In need of personnel and Crews, I was transferred to the 100th Bomb Group on Sept 12, 1944.  I flew a few missions with the 351st and 350th BS's as a Command Pilot before I was given command of the 350th Bomb Squadron in October of 1944.  I hold the record for being in command of the 350th BS the longest during the War, six whole months!  My Operations officer was Capt. John Gibbons who went on to fly 49 missions.    

Mission Memories:
Frankfurt-Jan 45, flak knocked out one engine, damaged another and we had a big bird full of holes.  Deputy lead took over and we headed back to England. We reached the coast but realized we would not make it based on the loss of altitude.  Our emergency field for the day was at Liege but we ended up at an emergency RAF base in Brussels.  We made it too the end of the runway, cut our engines and got out.  All of a sudden, the base commander comes up and says" I command you Sir to move that Aircraft".  I tried to explain to him that if I moved the aircraft of the mesh steel runway the B-17 would "sink to the hub in mud",  Still he persisted so I climbed back into the plane, started her up, and moved her off the runway. Sure enough, she sank right to the hub.  We stayed there the night and was transported the next day back to Thorpe Abbotts. Our B-17 returned a few weeks later, still full of holes"

Berlin Feb 3, 1945:  We were flying deputy lead to Rosie that day.  We were leading the High Group, and at the IP we saw Rosie get hit by Flak and watched as he went down, counting parachutes. 

200th Mission Party: Col Jeffrey and Gen Doolittle are at the Bar and this drunk Bombardier comes up to the General and asks him " Hey Jimmy , who flew your plane for you when you went to Tokyo?"  The General was visually upset and I think that Bombardier was transferred a short time after that.

ME 262.  On the April 10, 1945 mission I was leading he Group and we got hit by German Jets.  This one guy was so close I would recognize him if I saw him on the street.  All our ships got hit that day and we lost two a/c.  All others returned to base with different degrees of battle damage. 

Medals and Ribbons: WW2
DFC with OLC
AIR MEDAL with 6 OLC (2 OLC for Anti Submarine duty)
American Defense Ribbon
Asiatic-Pacific Theater ribbon
European-Africa-Middle East Theater ribbon with 3 battle stars
Croix de Guerre

Medals after the War:
Legion of Merit with OLC