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Hometown Heroes of WWII
McNally: Medal winner in aerial combat
By Michael Rocchetti
Russel I. McNally (1920-1984) was born in Putnam on June 3, 1920, the eldest son of Iskah and Agnes McNally. He had three younger brothers – all of Putnam.
He graduated from Putnam High School in 1938 and was working for the CT Light & Power Company when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in October 1942. Shortly thereafter, he volunteered for the Air Corps. After qualifications and flight training, he was sent to England in early 1944, assigned to the 355th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, based at RAF Steeple Morden. He was a fighter pilot, flying the “Morphine Sue II” P-51D Mustang.
By the end of 1944 he had flown 73 combat missions with 300 hours of combat. He was credited with the destruction of two Luftwaffe planes – a Focke Wulf Fw 190 and a Junkers JU-88 Stuka. He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for extraordinary achievement in aerial combat.
His DFC citation reads: “The skillful and zealous manner in which Lieutenant McNally has sought out the enemy and engaged him, his devotion to duty and courage under all conditions serve as an inspiration to his fellow fliers. His actions on all these occasions reflect the highest credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States.”
By early 1945 he returned to the U.S. where he served as an Air Corps flight instructor. He married Muriel Hutchins Grosvenor in 1943, and they had three children. After the war he returned to Putnam, where he worked as an industrial engineer, and he was very active in the local community, serving as an alderman and on several committees for the Town of Putnam. He died May 1 1984 in Scotland, Conn.
Hometown Heroes is a series published in the Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger with this mission: We owe it to our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to make sure that they are never forgotten, and that the memory of their service and sacrifice will forever live on in the hearts and minds of the grateful people of Putnam.
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