Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Portrait, Operation Cadillac
During my recent research on Operation Cadillac, I was contacted by the son-in-law of Colonel C.J. Heflin, who has kindly sent me these two articles that appeared in Parisian newspapers in September 1944, reporting the meeting of his father-in-law with général Koenig.
His son-in-law Darrell Dvorak, has kindly forwarded the following information : Col.
Clifford J. Heflin was commanding officer of the US Army Air Forces
801st/492nd bombardment group (code name: Carpetbaggers) that dropped
arms, ammunition and various supplies to the French resistance,
1944-1945.
Col. Heflin received the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur and the Croix de guerre from General Koenig at a ceremony in Paris the previous day, Sept 9.
The Carpetbaggers as a unit were awarded the US Presidential Unit Citation, and many other personnel received the Croix de guerre.
Article du Parisien libéré :
Article de L’aube :
Hier matin, à l’hôtel des Invalides, le général
Koenig a reçu le Colonel d’aviation C.J. Heflin, commandant d’un
groupe de forteresses volantes, qui durant de long mois ravitailleront en
armes et munitions de toutes sortes le maquis de l’Ain, du Vercors et de
la Haute-Savoie.
Le gouverneur militaire de Paris a décoré de la Légion d’Honneur et de la Croix de Guerre le colonel C.J. Heflin.
Le gouverneur militaire de Paris a décoré de la Légion d’Honneur et de la Croix de Guerre le colonel C.J. Heflin.