Flying started in 1936 when, I took two flying lessons in a Rearwin single-engine plane, from Kansas City, Kansas Airport. I also helped build a Heath-Super monoplane. In Oct. 1939, after college and a summer as a Park Ranger in Yosemite, I started full-time employment with United Air Lines, in Passenger Service at Oakland Airport, and took private flying lessons at Oakland Airport, California.

In 1941, I started Civilian Pilot Training, but joined USAir Corps, Moffett Field.
Training was in Stearman bi-planes at Thunderbird, Basic in Vultee's at Minter Field. Advanced Training was in twin-engine aircraft at Roswell, NM and promoted to 2nd LT at Roswell, on 10/30/41.

B-24 training was at Tucson, Alamogordo and Clovis, NM. Our crew was one of four crews selected to return to Tucson AFB to join B-24 Instructors, forming "Squadron X", to leave the US. I was given a full B-24 crew, promoted to 1st Lt., trained on B-24s and left the US, through New Orleans for an unknown base.

We became the 29th AF Squadron, 6th Air Force, in Panama, based on the Galapagos Islands, 1000 miles from Panama, in the Pacific Ocean. Our duty was to defend, patrol, search and rescue, mostly west of the Panama Canal. Our Squadron sank a German Submarine in the Caribbean Sea. We flew multi-patrols to Salinas, Ecuador, South America, and Guatemala AF Base, Guatemala, Central America, and occasionally to David and the Canal Zone. We continued day and night B-24 formation flights.
I was promoted to Captain as Operations Officer. On one occasion, our squadron was moved to Rio Hato, Panama.

While lengthening the runway in Rio Hato, our Squadron was moved to Panama.
I was assigned as Sqn. Engineering Officer, at Rio Hato and also at Howard Field. I was Operations Officer at Rio Hato, Howard Field, and the Galapagos Islands. Our 6th AF Headquarters was on Allbrook Field, Panama. While at "The Rock", as our base on Baltra Island was nick-named, I flew the plane which helped our crash-boat rendezvous with a passing ship, to remove a sailor with appendicitis, and return him to our hospital. I found a lost Puerto Rican Infantryman on Baltra Island, using a small plane. I found two survivors from a B-24's which hit the water on the south side of San Cristobal Island, in the Galapagos.

Our crew found the crash site of one of our patrol B-24's which hit a peak on the Cocos Islands, while searching for a Navy plane. All crew members were killed, including, two of my best friends.

While flying for United Airlines, a TWA pilot and I had a Boy Scout Aviation Troop.