Published: August 05, 2008 11:24 pm      

Huntsville man receives World War II medal after 46 years

The Distinguished Flying Cross is one of the highest honors conveyed by the U.S. Armed Forces.

To earn this decoration, a soldier must demonstrate heroism above and beyond the call of duty during an aerial flight.

Charles Lindbergh was the first to receive this honor in 1926, for his legendary flight across the Atlantic, and in the years since only a few hundred have been given.

In 1944, Maj. William Fallin of Huntsville became one of these distinguished soldiers.

Like his fellow honorees, Fallin was honored to receive the DFC, but unlike most of them, he didn't receive the medal until 64 years later.

Fallin enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on Jan. 28, 1942, just 54 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

In the 14 months that followed, Fallin would distinguish himself in the Pacific Theatre of the war, flying 46 combat missions and rising in the ranks all the way to major.

By the time he left the service, Fallin had received 10 air medals for his service, which included commanding both individual aircraft and full squadron of B-24 Liberator long distance bombers.

His career is especially noteworthy for his work in bombing raids on Truk Island, a strategic Japanese stronghold where many Japanese military resources were stockpiled.

These bombing raids, many of which Fallin commanded, served to significantly cripple the Japanese war effort, and possibly save many American lives.

In 1944, Fallin broke his ankle while playing a game of softball on base, leading to a military discharge. He returned home, but the medal he was supposed to receive never arrived.

“Best we can figure, I went home, and they sent it to the base,” Fallin said. “After a while, I just forgot about it.”

According to Air Force records, Fallin had been awarded the DFC, but the actual medal never reached him, until a volunteer at the Hearts Veterans' Museum in Huntsville made a discovery.

Larry Snyder was browsing through a group of books a resident had recently donated to the museum, when he came across a volume on war heroes from Texas.

“I was just skimming through it, and I came across someone named Major William Fallin,” Snyder said. “I realized that I had a friend named Bill Fallin, and I knew he was a pilot, so I called him and asked if it was him. He said it was.”

Snyder learned from the text that Fallin had received the DFC. When Fallin told him the medal had never actually been given to him, Snyder decided to take action.

He contacted the office U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas District 8, representing Huntsville, and asked if they could help.

A few weeks later, Fallin received a surprise.

“I went down to the post office, got my mail, opened up an envelope, and there it was,” Fallin said

Snyder was able to get the medal to Fallin, but wanted to be sure that the proper level of honor was given to the occasion, so he contacted Brady's office again, and asked if the congressman could present the honor personally.

On Tuesday morning, at the Hearts Museum, Brady presented Fallin with his medal, almost 63 years to the day after the end of World War II.

“No community loves its veterans like Huntsville does,” Brady said. “We want to make sure that we give back to our veterans as much as we can, so I was happy and honored to be here.”

After a brief overview of Fallin’s career, Brady presented the medal while remarking on the humility of veterans Fallin represented.

“He is a member of the greatest generation,” Brady said. “They never asked for recognition for what they did, and that’s why it’s so important that we give it to them.”

When Fallin received the medal, he had very simple words to express his gratitude.

“I'm just overwhelmed,” Fallin said. He paused looked down at his long-awaited honor, and said: “God Bless America.”