Arthur C. Tomes was born on December 28th. 1920 in Aurota. MN. He graduated from Aurora High School in 1938 and then attended Eveleth Junior College. While at Eveleth J.e •• Art participated in the Civilian Pilot Training program. earning his pilot license in 1941 in a Piper J-3 C"b from instructor Ed Erler at the old Vaginia Airport.
Art reported for duty at Fort Snelling as an Aviation Cadet in the u.s. Army Air Corps on December 10. 1941. He received training at Visalia. CA in the Ryan PT -22; at Merced Army Air Field, CA in the Vuftee "Vibrator" BT-13; and at Stocltton. CA in the North American AT -6. He graduated froJn flight training as a pilot and 2nd Lieutertant on June 23. 1942. He then received twin engine training in the Curtis AT -9 prior to assignment as a pilot at the Bombardier Training facilitie$ at Williams. AZ and Deming. New Mexico from August 1942 until March 1944.
In April 1944. Art volunteered for training as the pilot of the new Boeing B-29 "Super Fortr6$' at Hobbs, NM. Initial training actulilly used the Boeing 8-17 "Flying Fortress" because 8-29's were in short supply. He later joined his 8-29 combat crew at Lincoln. NE for more training with the 504th Bomb Group (VH). Verr Heavy. He became the Airplane Commander at the ripe old age of 23-and personally signed a $1.000.000 voucher when he picked up his new 8-29 &om the factory. In January 1945. Art•s Bomber Wing traveled to their combat operating base on the island ofTinian in the Marianas Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
While based at Tinian. Art and crew successfulJ.y co~eted 35 missions-including many over major targets in Japan such as Tokyo. Kobe. Osaka. Nagoya, Koriyama. Kaw;uiiaki. Kitte. Moji and Himeji. He was chosen to fly the photographic 8-29 that documented the signing of the Surrender Ceremony aboard the battleship u.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo harbor on ~tembcr 2. 1945 that ended WWII. He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses (one with Oak Leaf Cluster). an Air Medal for each Five Missions. two Presidential Unit Citations and five Asiatic-Pacific campaign ribbons.
After the war. Art met his furore wife. Bev Olson. and returned to Virginia, MN and civilian life. He pursued a busy and fUll career for 30 plus years in aviation-operating the old Virginia airport and the newer Eveleth-Virginia airport, operating Northeast Airways. Inc. along with his friend Ray Glumack, writing Take-Off Talk and Airport Log for local newspapers and Partia~' ating in the Aero-Head f1jght Club. Art was a very busy Certified Flight Instructor and designated Flight Examiner. providing fli t instruction and check rides for over 2.000 local pilots; i-hfinislmthis aviatiolu:areer in 19nas the corporate pilot of a et Com¬mander for Midwest Federal Savings and Loan in Minneapolis. He has logged over 20.000 flight hours.
During the course ofhis career. Art has flown manJ VlP's-including Vice-President Hubert Humphrey. Govemors Anderson. Youngdahl and Perpicb.. Dr. David Mesch. Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.