Integral to this Collection is the biography page for Lee Willey, which itself exhibits 60 photographs, documents and artifacts that illustrate the chronology of Willey's career in aviation. Please direct your browser to his link to learn about one of the Register's most interesting and accomplished, yet little-known, pilots.

The following exhibits 33 documents and images from his military career.

Unlike some other signers of the Register who served in two wars, Lee Willey served his country during one war, WWII. He was commissioned Captain June 24, 1942 at Washington DC and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Officers’ Reserve Corps by the time he was discharged September 1, 1946. Please review the details of his military service on his biography page, here, then come back to learn more.

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What better way to define the scope of Lee Willey's activities during WWI than to present maps of the places he traveled? I performed "autocolor" on these three maps in PhotoShop to brighten them for easier readability.

Lee Willey's WWII Travels, Western Hemisphere

He traveled from high in the northern temperate zone to equatorial South America. He landed in or crossed all of the United States except for perhaps Vermont and Maine.

Lee Willey's WWII Travels, United States

His work in the Eastern Hemisphere focused on the China-Burma-India Theater, where he trained the pilots that flew the high-altitude "Hump".  

Lee Willey's WWII Travels, Eastern Hemisphere

For the WWII era, he was unusually well-traveled during his scant four years of service.

Below, Lee Willey's instrument pilot certification to expire June 29, 1942. Note that he was promoted from Captain to Major and, saving paper for the war effort, simply edited and initialed his name and rank.

Instrument Pilot Certificate, June 29, 1942

Instrument Pilot Certificate, June 29, 1942, Back

Below, Lee Willey's instrument pilot certification to expire April 1, 1945.

Instrument Pilot Certificate, April 1, 1945

Instrument Pilot Certificate, April 1, 1945, Back

It appears this certification was earned at Clovis, NM before he went to the Eastern Hemisphere. Note the type-rating for the C-47, the militarized Douglas DC-3.

Col. Lee Willey, After January, 1944

On January 20, 1944, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel, while serving from November, 1943 to May, 1944 with the 20th Bombardment Squadron as check-pilot on B-29s.

On May 26, 1944, he departed the U.S.  via Miami FL; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Trinidad; Natal, Brazil; Ascension Is.; Monrovia, Liberia; Dakar, French West Africa; Rabat, Morocco; Tunis, Tunisia; Tripoli, Libya; Cairo, Egypt; Baghdad, Iraq; Sharjah, Trucial Oman; India, arriving May 31, 1944.

From June 2, 1944 to September 12, 1944, he was stationed at HQ India China Division, Air Transport Command, as  Flying Safety and Wing Rescue Officer, and Member of the Joint Flying Control Board, SE Asia Command.  Under its auspices, he traveled to B-29 bases in China.

Below, two examples of "Blood Chits", or "escape and identification flags". These were collected during his time in the China-Burma-India Theater, June, 1944-December , 1945. The bandana-sized (10" x 12") flag below is printed on silk.

Contributor Scott Willey says about these chits, "That's Burmese.....  Essentially it says something like, "Dear Friend, I am an Allied fighter.  I did not come here to do any harm to you who are my friends.  I only want to do harm to the Japanese and chase them away from this country as quickly as possible.  If you will assist me, my Government will sufficiently reward you when the Japanese are driven away."  It was standard blood chit stuff." Close-up of the text follows.

"Blood Chit", Date Unidentified, Text Only

Below, in leather, measuring about 4" x 6", the Chinese version of the blood chit. It says, "This foreign person has come to China to help in the war effort. Soldiers and civilians, one and all, should rescue, protect, and provide him medical care".

Chinese Blood Chit, Leather, Date Unknown

Below, a 48-star U.S. flag fashioned in leather (about 5" x 6").

U.S. Flag, Leather, Date Unknown

Below, a photograph that may not be suitable for more sensitive site visitors, but representative of Willey's extracurricular activities during wartime. The date of the photograph is March 17, 1945. The tiger, shot by Willey, was converted to a rug that remained in the family for some time. The rug can be seen below and on Willey's biography page, here.

Bengal Tiger Kill, March 17, 1945

Below, the caption on the back of the tiger kill photograph. This was a large cat. Note the red "chop" for Gladys Willey. Willey organized hunting parties for his men. He personally killed a number of leopards, birds and deer. The deer supplemented the officer's and enlisted men's mess.

Bengal Tiger Kill, March 17, 1945, Caption

Several other photographs and a base newsletter article describing the tiger hunt and other hunts are among Willey's collection. The base newsletter is below. Note the other timely news, including the movie coming attractions.

Base Newsletter, March, 1945

The Maharaja enjoyed the hunt so much he wrote this letter to "Willys" (sic) a few days later. The letter may have been in deference to Cpl. Gold's earlier bad luck.

Maharaja's Invitation Letter, March 17, 1945

Undated Coverage of Morale-Boosting Party for the Men

Note the mention of a party in the mimeographed newsletter above. At right is another newsletter article highlighting the effort made by Willey to maintain morale among his men. This, and the menus just below, suggest that no corners were cut to assure his charges the best of food and drink. As it should be, given the rigors of that theater of war.

Below, the cover for the bill of fare for Thanksgiving Day, November 30, 1944.

Thanksgiving Day, 1944, Menu

And the bill of fare.

Thanksgiving Day, 1944, Menu

And then the menu for Christmas Day, 1944. Be there between 5:30 and 7:30PM, or go hungry!

Christmas Day, 1944, Menu

The Christmas bill of fare. Notwithstanding the colossal logistical effort to provide American-style foods to the large number of men flying the Hump, it is amusing to compare these two menus. Tom turkey and celery dressing remain the same.

Christmas Day, 1944, Menu

The New England Cranberry Sauce, however, is new and different, and shows up special at Christmas as Vermont Cranberry Sauce. The Southern Candied Yams are new and improved as Candied Alabama Yams. We can bet the Snowflake Potatoes are reconstituted. We wonder, too, how many of the men ran the doggerel through their minds, "Apple pie without cheese, is like a kiss without a squeeze."

Below, an undated V-Mail sheet addressed to Mrs. Willey with a holiday greeting.

Undated V-mail Sheet (1944 or 1945?)

On August 30, 1945 the Air Medal was conferred on him by Brigadier General William H. Tunner (signed the Register in 1930 & 1931). Below, a courtesy letter to Mrs. Willey informing her of that fact. Tunner's management was a significant factor in defining the role of women aviators in the military, and, in that capacity, he interacted with Register pilot Nancy Harkness.

August 30, 1945 Air Medal Award

So what does a full Colonel, winner of the Air Medal and a pilot with five-figure flight hours under his belt earn in a month? The answer is below: $320.40 after debits.

A Colonel's Pay, November 4, 1945

Back in the U.S. after the war, Willey was assigned to Topeka, KS as director of training at the Army airfield there. The article, below, from the Topeka Daily Capital of April 7, 1946 features his tiger, now a rug, and describes a common lament among returning servicemen: lack of housing. This article was torn in the original.

Topeka Daily Capital, April 7, 1946

Topeka Daily Capital, April 7, 1946, Continued

Another article, looking like the same font and paper stock as the Topeka Daily Capital, but undated, exposes the role of the family dog in keeping Willey's command in line at Topeka.

"Ty" The Dog Takes Command, Topeka, KS

Note that this article mentions Register pilot Col. Clarence E. Crumrine.

Below, membership in the Officers' Club, Topeka, KS.

Officers' Club Membership, Undated

Speaking of officer status, Willey entered the military as a Captain from civilian life on June 24, 1942. His previous experience with Eastern Airlines and training qualified him for that primary rank. He was promoted to Major on October 20, 1942, To Lt. Colonel on January 20, 1944 and to full Colonel on July 1, 1945. Just before his discharge in September, 1946, he was commissioned in the Army Reserves.

Commission in the Reserves, May 17, 1946

Willey separated from the armed forces on September 1, 1946 as documented below. I have blacked out his Social Security number for obvious reasons.

Separation Qualification Record, September 1, 1946

It is interesting to note on page 2, below, that Willey was assigned to Instrument School at Tucson during April, 1943. In 1943, the old Airfield was on its way to becoming the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Some sense of what the changes of the past 15-years looked like to Willey can be seen at the link, which show a couple of aerial photos of the field before and after WWII. He must have been nostalgic for the dusty days of 1927-29 when he brought the liners of Standard Air Lines to the far northwest corner of the field. His duties at Aero Corporation are documented as what appears to be on the job training.

Separation Qualification Record, September 1, 1946, Page 2

His certificate of discharge is below.

Lee Willey Military Discharge, September 1, 1946

Below, Willey's instrument pilot certifications, which fall either side of his discharge to reserve status. Note that his 1947 certificate is signed by C.E. Crumrine (see news article and link above).

Instrument Pilot Certificate, April 1, 1946

Instrument Pilot Certificate, April 30, 1947

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UPLOADED: 07/08/09 REVISED: