The 345th Bombardment Group of the 5th Air Force, known as the "Air Apaches," served in the Southwest Pacific during World War II. Its four squadrons, the 498th, 499th, 500th, and 501st, trained at Columbia Army Air Base from November 1942 to April 1943, with bombing runs over Lake Murray, aerial gunnery practice at Myrtle Beach, and maneuvers at Aiken before transferring to Walterboro. The group left Walterboro in April 1943 for California, Australia, and the front, and flew its first combat missions over New Guinea in June. Flying B-25 Mitchell bombers in 8 campaigns from New Guinea to Japan from June 1943 to August 1945, the group sank 260 vessels and shot down 107 planes. It earned 4 Distinguished Unit Citations and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.