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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Susan Donnelly Kirk

Earl Estelle spent 54 years as a pilot/executive with 28,000 hours of flying time over every continent and ocean on earth in military and corporate aircraft. The Jersey City native and long time Rutherford resident, Col Estelle began his aviation career with the U.S. Army 23rd Aero-Squadron Earl Estelle, World War I in 1918. He served in England and France during World War I. After the Armistice, he completed the four-year Engineering School at Dickinson Technical Institute. In the 1930s, he joined the New Jersey Air National Guard, attained the rank of captain, and served as the assistant to Gen. Robert Copsey until 1940 when he went on active duty with the Army Air Corps.
During World War II, Estelle helped pioneer the airlift between India and China. He completed 55 missions over the "Hump." He organized and commanded the Air Transport Corps' first training base at Gaya, India, specifically for indoctrinating new flight crews for the "Hump" operation.
Later, the veteran pilot commanded various bases both in India and the Southwest Pacific area. These included strategic Pacific bases of Biak, New Guinea, Moratal and Darwin. On V-J Day in August of 1945, he proudly flew into Japan.