<div>
<em>Lanham</em> was born 15 September 1919, the son of Dr. and Mrs. William Price Connally. He finished high school in McGregor, Texas in 1936, and attended Columbian Preparatory School in Washington, DC. He entered West Point in 1937, received his degree of Bachelor of Science in 1941, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery. That summer he was transferred to the Air Corps and received his training in Texas, at Fort Worth, Randolph Field, and finally his wings at Victoria, Texas on 7 March 1942.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We had been childhood sweethearts and had planned to marry upon my graduation from Baylor University in May of 1942. However, we decided to postpone our marriage until Lanham came back from overseas, as he hoped to be sent quite soon after receiving his wings. He was anxious to join his former classmates in combat.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
During the period after Lanham received his wings until our marriage, he was stationed in many places in the United States, much to his dismay and disappointment, because he felt he should be overseas flying with his friends and fellow Americans.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Finally we were married on 31 January 1944 in McGregor. My maiden name was Louise Bailey. I was privileged to accompany him to several posts after our marriage; by that time he had started training and flying P-47s. We joined the 507th Fighter Group of the 465th Fighter Squadron, moved to Dalhart, Texas, and finally he was sent to the Pacific in March 1945. After much delay in “getting into combat,” Lanham, on his second mission, was flying escort on a B-24 photo mission to Kyushu, Japan. Just as he reached the southern tip of Kyushu, Lanham called the leader, Major Rice, on the radio and reported that he smelled gas fumes in his cockpit and thought he had better return to his home base. His wing man, Lieutenant McCarty, turned back with him. About 30 miles south of Kyushu, Lieutenant McCarty saw Lanham’s engine appear to be cutting out, and after a few minutes, he advised Lanham to bail out. Lanham rolled the plane over on its back and bailed out. Lieutenant McCarty did not think Lanham had touched any part of the plane in bailing out, but the silk canopy never did blossom out fully, and it appeared to drift away from Lanham. He fell 12,000 feet into the water. Lieutenant McCarty accompanied him down while calling the Navy air-sea-rescue plane, but did not see Lanham go into the water. Lieutenant McCarty circled for 1% hours until the Navy plane arrived with its escort planes; however, no trace of Lanham was ever found. He was officially declared dead on 12 January 1946 after being listed as “missing in action” since 4 July 1945.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We had no children, and now all of his family is dead except three nieces and one nephew. Only two live in Texas. I have remarried, to a civilian lawyer, and live and teach pre-school children in Austin, Texas.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Lanham died living by the principles of all West Pointers—“Duty, Honor, Country,” and I am proud that I was his wife, if only for a short time. My life has been richer because of knowing and loving him, and although the hurt and loss will always remain, I have been comforted by knowing that he gave his life for his country, which he dearly loved and served.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<em>Louise B. Connally Jones</em></div>
<div>
</div>