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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Ed's passion for flying began at age seven as he followed Charles Lindberg's celebrated exploits. However, it was World War II and his enlistment in the Army Air Corps that allowed him to pursue his dream of becoming an aviator. Ed enlisted in the Army Air Corps Reserve in September 1942 and in March 1943, the Chicago native traveled to San Antonio to begin a series of four multi-month courses in the Army Air Cadet training program: 1) Pre-Flight Training, 2) Primary Training, 3) Basic Training, and 4) Advanced TE (Twin-Engine) Training.
After completing the program in San Antonio, Ed entered Primary Training at Gibbs Field, Fort Stockton, Texas on June 27, 1943. Here he learned to fly the Fairchild PT-19A, a single wing, open cockpit plane. His first flight, which took place on June 29, 1943, lasted 24 minutes. On July 14 Ed took over the controls for the first time for nine minutes and on August 3, one month short of his 21st birthday, he made a 1 hour and 48 minute solo flight. In August 1943, Ed entered Basic Training at Goodfellow Field, San Angelo, Texas where he learned to fly the Vultee 3S BT-13A. His first flight as a student occurred on September 4, 1943 lasting 48 minutes and he took over the controls on September 9 for 30 minutes. On September 21 he began cross-country flights and on October 6 he began night flying. In November 1943, Ed entered Advanced Training at Lubbock Army Air Field, Lubbock, Texas where he learned to fly a twin-engine airplane. He graduated from Army Air Cadets at Lubbock on January 7, 1944.
Shortly thereafter he was assigned to Rapid City Army Air Base in Rapid City, South Dakota where he learned to fly the B-17. In April 1944, as co-pilot of Crew No. 65, he left for Nuthampstead, England with the 398th Bomb Group. Ed was in the 603rd Squadron. While in England, Ed flew 28 combat missions with the 398th and the 8th Air Force to targets in France and Germany. He was promoted to pilot on July 1, 1944 and to 1st Lieutenant on August 12, 1944. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his August 6 mission to Brandenburg where he led the element after he lost an engine. Later he received an Oak Leaf Cluster for his DFC for a number of combat missions from May 6 to September 3, 1944. He returned to the States in late September 1944 and became a B-17 instructor for the rest of the war.
After his death, his wife, Jeanne sent the following letter to the 398* Bomb Group Memorial Association.
May 8, 1982
Dear Mr. Hillard,
I am writing to officially inform you of my husband's death so that you can make mention of it in a
subsequent newsletter of the 398lh Bomb Group.
1st Lt. Edward C. Jordan 0706190, 603rd Squadron, 398th Bomb Group Died February 5th, 1981 of cancer (Lymphoma) after a short illness. Age 58.
I am sending the following short history to Group Historian Jack Wintersteen as it may be of interest to some as Ed never stopped flying and made it his career and only job. Ed served as co-pilot and first pilot on the B-17 from April to September 1944. He was discharged in May of 1945 and on June 1st he traded his uniform and wings for those of a commercial pilot with United Air Lines.
He served eight years as a co-pilot and over 27 years as Captain. During those 35 years he was checked out and licensed to fly the DC-3, 4, 6, 7 and the DC-10. Also, the Convair 340, the Caravelle 210 (his favorite), the Boeing 707 and 720. The last four years of his life he flew the wide bodied 747 on a Honolulu run. In all, he logged nearly 24,000 hours of flight time. Had he lived, he would have retired this coming September, age 60, becoming No. 1 on United's Seniority List - a goal he didn't achieve.
It is with regret that he will not be at the Memorial Reunion to represent his crew. I am sure that in spirit he will. He had always planned on going back to Nuthampstead and was always grateful to the Air Force for giving him the opportunity to fulfill his dream and goal of a flying career. Ed was a dedicated soldier, pilot, husband and father and a success at all.
Sincerely, Jeanne C. Jordan
Edward C. Jordan's Aviation History was submitted in May 2004 by Ed Jordan's son, Dave, with input from his sisters Marianne, Claudia, and Trina, and his mother, Jeanne in memory of Ed Jordan, a gifted aviator.
Donor: David S. Jordan, PO Box 454, Middletown, NJ 07748, 732-291-5850