He is the son of James W. and Alma M. Fulton Lawless. He married Marjorie E. Ashley on May 23, 1943. He later married Margaret Norris Kallas in 1968. She passed away in 2003.
He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pontiac.
Mr. Lawless graduated from Sibley High School in the class of 1941. Until he enlisted in the U.S. Army, he worked on the family farm. He was proud of his Duroc hogs, which he showed at both county and Illinois state fairs.
During World War II, Mr. Lawless served as a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 390th Bombardment Group (H), of the Eighth Air Force. He had 27 combat missions over Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge and many well known air raids. He was credited with shooting down a German fighter plane and crippling another. Among other honors, he was awarded a Bronze Star for Valor. After VE Day, his B-17 crew flew humanitarian missions to concentration camps in Belgium and brought some of the survivors back to England.
On Aug. 6, 1945, he was returning to the United States on the S.S. Queen Mary when the atom bombs caused Japan to surrender and ended World War II.
Mr. Lawless was a life member of both the American Legion and VFW. He was also a member of the Elks and Knights of Columbus.
After World War II, he farmed near Strawn and Chatsworth, and he ran tavern/restaurants in Camp Grove, Pontiac, Lincoln and, for a number of years, the "Crossroads" in Forrest. He retired from Caterpillar in Joliet, and spent most of his retirement years in Naples, Fla.
The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Illinois
He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pontiac.
Mr. Lawless graduated from Sibley High School in the class of 1941. Until he enlisted in the U.S. Army, he worked on the family farm. He was proud of his Duroc hogs, which he showed at both county and Illinois state fairs.
During World War II, Mr. Lawless served as a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 390th Bombardment Group (H), of the Eighth Air Force. He had 27 combat missions over Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge and many well known air raids. He was credited with shooting down a German fighter plane and crippling another. Among other honors, he was awarded a Bronze Star for Valor. After VE Day, his B-17 crew flew humanitarian missions to concentration camps in Belgium and brought some of the survivors back to England.
On Aug. 6, 1945, he was returning to the United States on the S.S. Queen Mary when the atom bombs caused Japan to surrender and ended World War II.
Mr. Lawless was a life member of both the American Legion and VFW. He was also a member of the Elks and Knights of Columbus.
After World War II, he farmed near Strawn and Chatsworth, and he ran tavern/restaurants in Camp Grove, Pontiac, Lincoln and, for a number of years, the "Crossroads" in Forrest. He retired from Caterpillar in Joliet, and spent most of his retirement years in Naples, Fla.
The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Illinois
He is the son of James W. and Alma M. Fulton Lawless. He married Marjorie E. Ashley on May 23, 1943. He later married Margaret Norris Kallas in 1968. She passed away in 2003.
He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pontiac.
Mr. Lawless graduated from Sibley High School in the class of 1941. Until he enlisted in the U.S. Army, he worked on the family farm. He was proud of his Duroc hogs, which he showed at both county and Illinois state fairs.
During World War II, Mr. Lawless served as a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 390th Bombardment Group (H), of the Eighth Air Force. He had 27 combat missions over Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge and many well known air raids. He was credited with shooting down a German fighter plane and crippling another. Among other honors, he was awarded a Bronze Star for Valor. After VE Day, his B-17 crew flew humanitarian missions to concentration camps in Belgium and brought some of the survivors back to England.
On Aug. 6, 1945, he was returning to the United States on the S.S. Queen Mary when the atom bombs caused Japan to surrender and ended World War II.
Mr. Lawless was a life member of both the American Legion and VFW. He was also a member of the Elks and Knights of Columbus.
After World War II, he farmed near Strawn and Chatsworth, and he ran tavern/restaurants in Camp Grove, Pontiac, Lincoln and, for a number of years, the "Crossroads" in Forrest. He retired from Caterpillar in Joliet, and spent most of his retirement years in Naples, Fla.
The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Illinois
He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pontiac.
Mr. Lawless graduated from Sibley High School in the class of 1941. Until he enlisted in the U.S. Army, he worked on the family farm. He was proud of his Duroc hogs, which he showed at both county and Illinois state fairs.
During World War II, Mr. Lawless served as a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 390th Bombardment Group (H), of the Eighth Air Force. He had 27 combat missions over Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge and many well known air raids. He was credited with shooting down a German fighter plane and crippling another. Among other honors, he was awarded a Bronze Star for Valor. After VE Day, his B-17 crew flew humanitarian missions to concentration camps in Belgium and brought some of the survivors back to England.
On Aug. 6, 1945, he was returning to the United States on the S.S. Queen Mary when the atom bombs caused Japan to surrender and ended World War II.
Mr. Lawless was a life member of both the American Legion and VFW. He was also a member of the Elks and Knights of Columbus.
After World War II, he farmed near Strawn and Chatsworth, and he ran tavern/restaurants in Camp Grove, Pontiac, Lincoln and, for a number of years, the "Crossroads" in Forrest. He retired from Caterpillar in Joliet, and spent most of his retirement years in Naples, Fla.
The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Illinois
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