Harold O. Lee enlisted in the armed forces after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was scheduled to depart for training 3 days after his 21st birthday on December 31, 1941. After his initial training at Dodd Field, Fort Sam Houston, and Sheperd Field, near Wichita Falls, Lee was sent to Scott Field, Illinois for his Air Corps training. It was there that he went to school to train for the Air Corps. After his schooling he was sent to England, arriving in Liverpool on August 1, 1942. It was here that he began to service radio equipment for the P-38's. In October of 1942 he was sent to North Africa aboard the USS Uruguay. During this time, Lee suffered a gasoline burn during a bombing raid, on Maisson Carrie near Algiers. He was severely burned, but after his recovery he continued his service. Lee finally achieved his goal of flight duty on May 27, 1943. After several months' duty, Lee's plane was shot down over Italy on August 19, 1943. He was sent to the Stalag 17B P.O.W. camp in Germany. Lee remained there until the Germans evacuated due to the Russian advance. The rear echelon of Patton's army rescued him shortly thereafter. Lee was released from the Air Corps on October 26, 1945, and he returned to Texas.
From the guide to the Harold O. Lee Papers MS 136., 1930-1997, (University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections)
