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Walter C. Tappan, Jr.

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Walter C. Tappan, Jr.

This March 23, 1944, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 1:
    Pvt. Walter Tappan, Jr., son of the Walter Tappans, Lowell, just recently completed an airplane mechanic course at Chanute Field, Rantoul, Ill., and spent 12 days here with his parents. Last week he left for Hamilton Field, Calif., for further training.
This July 13, 1944, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 2:
    Pvt. Walter Tappan, Jr., writes his parents that he has been transferred from Fairfield, Calif., to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he will attend the army air corps gunnery school for 8 weeks.

The following Sept. 14, 1944, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 4 column 1:

    Receives Wings As Aerial Gunner

    Pfc. Walter C. Tappan, Jr., has graduated from aerial gunnery school and received his wings on Sept. 3rd. He is now at home with his parents, the W.C. Tappans, on furlough.
A Lowell Tribune article about Ted Tappan from the February 22, 1945, issue (page 2, column 1) added at the end:
    Another son of the Tappans, Cpl. Walter C. Tappan, who has been serving as a tail gunner in the army air corps the past 19 months, writes that he is well and getting along nicely.
This March 1, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 1:
    A V-mail letter received Tuesday by the Walter Tappans from their son, Cpl. Walter Tappan, Jr., says he recently landed safely in England with his outfit, after a pleasant trip across. His first impressions of England weren't too good and he said he thanked God that he was an American.
    A card from their son, Ted, S 1/c, says he is now at Jacksonville, Fla., attending gunnery school. He was previously stationed at Memphis, Tenn.
This March 29, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 1:
    The Walter Tappans received word from their son, W.C. Tappan, in Great Britain, saying he was promoted to Sergeant on March 15. On the same day he and the crew were given the Air Medal. He said he is well and doing O.K.
This April 19, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 2:
    An 8th Air Force Bomber Base, England -- Sgt. Walter C. Tappan, 20, of Lowell, tail gunner on an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress, has been awarded the Air Medal.
    The award was for "meritorious achievement" during bombing attacks by Lieut. Col. Chester C. Cox' 388th bomb group against Nazi war industries and military targets in cooperation with Allied ground forces.
    The son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Tappan of Lowell, he was graduated from Roosevelt high school, East Chicago, before entering the AAF in July, 1943.
This April 26, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, columns 1-2:
    S/Sgt. Walter Tappan, Jr., was awarded his third citation--two Oak Leaf Clusters and a medal, on March 15th. He landed in England with his outfit on Feb. 18, and has since been on 19 missions over Germany as the tail gunner in a B-17. He received his wings Sept. 19, 1944, at Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Tappan, Sr.
This May 10, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 3, column 1:
    An 8th Air Force Bomber Station, England -- Promotion of Walter C. Tappan, 20, of Lowell, from Corporal to Sergeant, has been announced at this 8th air force B-17 flying fortress station.
    Sgt. Tappan is tail gunner on a Fortress that took part in the bombing attacks against Nazi war industries and military targets in co-operation with Allied ground forces. He is a member of Lieutenant Col. Chester C. Cox' 388th bomb group.
    The Lowell flyer is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Tappan. Before entering the AAF in July, 1943, he had recently graduated from Roosevelt high school at East Chicago.
This May 24, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 1:
    An Eighth Air Force Bomber Squadron, England -- A Lowell boy, Sgt. Walter C. Tappan, 20, tail gunner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Tappan, Sr., was one of those recently taking part in the 300th mission of the 388th Bomb Group, as the aerial war against Germany neared a close.
    The group, commanded by Lieut. Col. Chester C. Cox of Superior, Wis., flew its first mission to bomb a motor plant at Amsterdam in Holland on July 17, 1943, and rounded out 21 months of battering the German war machine with its 300th combat trip, an attack on fortified areas near Bordeaux, France.
This July 5, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 2:
    An 8th Air Force Bomber Station, England -- Staff Sgt. Walter C. Tappan, 20, of Lowell, a tail gunner on an 8th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress, has been awarded the second Oak Leaf Cluster to his Air Medal.
    The award was for "meritorious achievement" during the final bombing attacks against German military targets, in cooperation with the advancing Allied ground forces, as the Nazi armies were being forced into surrender. After his capture, Field Marshall von Rundstedt said: "Allied air superiority shattered our supply lines and upset all efforts to move our defense forces."
    Sgt. Tappan is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Tappan of Lowell, and was a recent graduate of Roosevelt high school, East Chicago, before entering the AAF in July 1943.
This September 6, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 1:
    S/Sgt. Walter C. Tappan enjoyed a three-day pass and witnessed his first Labor Day celebration in Lowell. Walter is now assigned as an instructor in sheet metal work at Chanute air field at Rantoul, Ill., and will be able to be home often.
This September 20, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 5, column 4:
    Mr. and Mrs. Walter Tappan and family were pleasantly surprised on Sunday morning by Hearl Clayton, ball turret gunner from the crew with which their son, Walter, Jr., served in combat over Germany. Young Walter, who was home at the time, was very happy to see his buddy. The boys have been separated since June, when they returned to the States. Young Clayton is located at Ft. Sheridan. The boys plan to spend next week-end in Lowell together at the Tappan home.
This November 29, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, columns 1-2:
    S/Sgt. Walter Tappan, Jr., has been discharged from the air corps, arriving home last week. His brother, Ted, was home from service when he arrived and the boys enjoyed a long awaited visit together for several days, the first in some time.
Last updated on June 17, 2004.

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