George Paul Ethridge, Jr. (Paul) was born May 18, 1924 in Plains, Georgia to George Paul Ethridge, Sr. and Willie Mae Blackshear Ethridge. He grew up in nearby Richland with his parents and younger brother, Noel Harold. He signed up for the Army Air Corps in June 1943 and went to Keesler Air Field, Mississippi for Army Infantry training, to Texas Tech College, Lubbock, Texas for flying basics and pre-flight training, and to Santa Ana, California for more basic pre-flight training. In January 1944 he went to primary flight school near Phoenix, Arizona, flying Stearman trainers. He did more training in Ontario, California, flying the Vultee SNV/BT-13 Valiant (the “Vibrator”). Then he went back to Phoenix to fly AT-6s, where he learned to fly in formation and attended gunnery school. He graduated in August as a 2nd lieutenant.
Paul next went to North Carolina for glider pilot training, then traveled to Scotland on the Queen Mary. He arrived near Glasgow in November 1944 and took the train to join the 313 Troop Carrier Group, 47 Company, near Nottingham, England, where he flew gliders and was a co-pilot on C-47s flying supplies to troops in northern France.
Paul then began flying C-46s, which carried twice as many men. In March 1945 he stayed in Achiet, France to be closer to the action, living three to a tent and hauling supplies. He flew near the front to the tent hospital to bring the walking wounded back to a better hospital. After VE-Day, Paul went back to Bovington, England, a large airport handling transatlantic flights, where he worked as a passenger pilot and in the EATS (European Army Transport Service), conveying supplies all over Europe. In September 1946 he was assigned as a Navy Commodore’s pilot in Bremen, Germany.
While working in the EATS, Paul enlarged his perspective by traveling around Europe. He attended the Nuremberg trials and saw Hitler’s henchmen in the dock. He went to Berchtesgaden and sat in Hitler’s chair. In December 1946 he was separated as a 1st lieutenant. He received the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 Battle stars, WWII Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, and Distinguished Unit Badge,
Paul was an American Legion member for 78 years and served as Adjutant and Commander. He attended Emory University on the GI Bill, then came home to Richland and ran the local Veterans’ Affairs office part-time until 1970, while also farming peanuts and cotton and raising cattle. He acquired his own Piper Cherokee and flew to all the lower 48 states.
In May 2014 Paul flew to Washington, DC on an Honor flight with several other Georgia WWII veterans. They visited the memorials and were treated to a public celebration at the Columbus, GA airport when they returned.
Paul retired from farming and moved to Salem, Alabama with his wife Gloria and family. He died March 8, 2024. He shared many interesting war stories, yet there were many darker ones he did not tell.