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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Received aviation cadet training on the West Coast in 1942. Commissioned 2nd Lt. at Luke Field Jan. 4, 1943, assigned to Sarasota, FL for check out and training in the P-40. Left for overseas Feb. 1043 via Legos, Gold Coast, and Cairo, Egypt with final assignment to the 64 Squadron of the 57th Group at El Kauron. Moved to Cape Bon near Tunis. Shot down three Messerschmitt’s Me-109s in one encounter over the island of Pantelleria. Got credit for one too busy to confirm the other two. On to Malta and Sicily where I shot down and got credit for another ME-109 just north of Mt. Etna. Covered actions at Missing Straits, Anzio and Salerno Beachheads. On into Italy, Rock of Binerdo, Foggia and Naples. Volunteered to a consecutive tour in the new P-47 Thunderbolt. The 57th was reequipped with P-47 fighters in Feb. 1944 while at Ammendola, Italy (spur of the boot) moving to Naples where we had to move our P-47s and leave our quarters in San Sabastiano when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. We moved to Corsica in early 1944. All my missions consisted of dive bombing and strafing, supporting the British 8th Army under Gen. Montgomery until we moved to Corsica. Our group practically wiped out the Herman Goering Armored Division at Grosseto. I shot down two FW 190s and Me109s. Got credit for one, confirmed by another pilot. Again too busy to confirm either victory. We had been attacked by 50 plus mixed Me 109s and FW 190s. The fight ended by my chasing a few FW190s at almost zero altitude. Fuel shortage and hot funs caused me to break off the chase but he was smoking badly when last seen. Returned to the ZI in Sept. 1944.
My career in the military ended in early 1970. I also saw action in a tour of Korea, three years as advisor to the Nationalist Air Force on Taiwan followed by a tour of duty in Vietnam.
Medals: DFC, Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre, Air Medal and eight Oak Leaf Clusters, ETO ribbon and five battle stars, Three Meritorious Medals and other campaign and service.