Foil: 7 Panel: 1 Column: 3 Line: 47

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Miles L. Croom

From Jennys to Jets, and Piper Cubs to B-17s, Croom flew many different aircraft. He served in WWI at Randolph Field, TX and Rantoul, IL. as a flying instructor. For two years he and a barnstorming group flew JN-4 Jennys with Lt. Omar Locklear walking the wings. After 20 years in the oil business, Croom joined the RCAF and flew Fairey Battle planes in Manitoba, Canada. In 1942, the USAF requested that he transfer to the USAF, where he served primarily at Laredo Army Air Field in Texas as Maintenance Director and Chief Test Pilot, and was dubbed "Pappy". He transferred to Itami, Japan in 1947-49 and made observation flights over the Sea of Japan. Retiring from active duty he became Chief of Police at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, CA., then retired as a Lt. Col. from the USAF. Major, later General, Jimmy Doolittle was a friend from WWI and Shell Oil days. In 1933 Doolittle flew four little Croom children from Dallas to Ft. Worth, TX in his Lockheed monoplane. In 1937 and '38 Pappy Croom and Doolittle felt the Japanese were buying up scrap iron to re-arm and would soon attack the U.S.
P.S.: I was the "missing link" in my family's flying life. My father was first as you see above and flew for some 40 years. My oldest son, Lt. Com. Miles M. Croom was a Navy helicopter pilot from 1973 to 79, then an N.O.A.A. helicopter pilot from '81 to '96. In 1975 I decided to take flying lessons and earned my private pilot's license in 1976 at 49 years old. I appreciate what you are doing at the Air and Space Museum and look forward to seeing the completed Wall of Honor. I was an Aviation Electronics Technician in the Navy in 1945 to '46, and have loved flying since riding with Jimmy Doolittle in 1933. !