Sterling D Ditchey

Lt Sterling Ditchey was living in Orange, Calif. and enlisted at Santa Ana AAF, Ca. on 10 Nov. 1942.  He was born in Calif in 1923 and entered directly into the AAC.  Sterling is White, Citizen, completed 4 years of high school and was a skilled lineman and  serviceman, telegraph, telephone and power.  He was single at Enlistment.

Lt. Sterling Ditchey was trained as an AAC B-25 Bombardier, was assigned to the 310th Bomb Group (Medium) and the 380th Bomb Squad.  He flew out of Corsica, France in the Mediterranean Theatre during WWII in the B-25 Mitchell Medium Bomber (May of 1944 to Feb.1945)

   70 Combat Missions as a Commissioned Bombardier, many Medals, Sterling's 70th Mission (25 Jan. 1945) was in the "Miss Mitchell" but his 'regular' Ship was the "Puss N Boots"

"MANY Medals" ... Lt Ditchey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with NINE Oak Leaf Clusters, and earned three Battle Participation Awards "Rome-Arno", "Southern France" and "Air Offensive of Europe".   What was the Mediterranean Theatre (MTO) also covered much of the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) as well.

More to come. 

Barbara Ennis Connolly, 57th Bomb Wing Historical Researcher and Historian for her Dad/Edward C Ennis' 321st Bomb Group. PRINCESSBARBI_B25@msn.com

Sterling keeps busy with the 57th BW, meets friends (381st Bomb Squad) George Underwood and wife Bev (and others) for lunch nearly every month and has lots of family outings....  Fun things with "Kids" and Grandkids !