Mailon Gillis
Mailon was born in Corpus Christi, Texas 2 September 1920. He would have been 100 this September. He was living in Pearsall, Texas when he enlisted it was late 1942 or early 1943. He passed in 2005.
Mailon did basic training in Chino California. Joined the 356th Fighter Squadron of the 354th Fighter Group in Salem Oregon in June 1943. Due to an operation in November did not fly 1st mission until February 1944. He had 3 kills, 2 FW-190s on 13th April, and a ME-109 on the 12th June. The two FW-190s were in one mission and earned him the Silver Star. The ME-109 was over France after D-Day and he ran him into a tree. There was a newspaper article in a Pearsall, Texas news paper. A member of his Methodist Church in San Antonio was in an Army Platoon the ME-109 was shooting up. He met Mailon after his rendition of the mission and thanked him for saving him and his Bud’s. Mailon's son met his Armorer some years back in Goldsboro, NC. He told me that my dad had brought back three P-51s so shot up they never flew again. He said dad would bring the guys a bit of Whiskey from time to time to thank them for their work.
Mailon's Mustang was AJ-N. Mailon left the 354th for home on the 7th October 1944.