Victor James “Vic” France was born on 12 December 1917 in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri. He was the son of James William and Lena France. Victor graduated from Edmond High School, Edmond, Oklahoma, in June 1934 and attended Central State College in Edmond 1934-35, then graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma in 1940. Victor's basic military training was as an ROTC student at OU, where he was also a Flying Cadet with the Civil Aeronautics Association.

After his graduation, he was employed on the advertising staff of Holland's Magazine in Dallas, Texas, before enlisting in the Royal Air Force at New Brunswick, Canada, on March 6, 1942. He was discharged from the King's service and joined the 334th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group, United States Army Air Corps, on September 23, 1942. Initially, he piloted a P-47 Thunderbolt with the 334th, but he was flying a P-51 Mustang "Miss Dallas" when he was killed in action near Stendal, Germany. While maneuvering to intercept an ME-109, he entered into a dive from which he did not pull out. His aircraft was seen to crash into a hedge and explode on impact.

Cpt France is now buried in the Rose Hill Burial Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, 4thfightergroupassociation.org