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George Deaton
GEORGE "BUD" DEATON, born
January 12, 1915 at Edna, La., attended
L.S.V. graduated S.L.I., B.S. in 1939.
Enlisted Brooks Field, Jan. 34 ($17 month
buck private) discharged Middletown, Pa.
Jan. 23, 1937. Graduated Flying Class
1940-A at Randolph and Kelly Field. Sgt
Major of class.
Deaton's first assignment 31st Pursuit
Grp, Selfridge Field. Trained under Neal
Kearby flying P-26, P-35, P-36, P-40, and
P-39. He claims undisputed record of most
"ground loops" in Seversky P-35, 3 times on
his back. Each time as number 3 man in V
landing formation on sod field at Selfridge,
flying Neal Kearby's wing. Attributed to
seige of flat tires after air-born.
Deaton was assigned to original 52nd Ftr
Grp and was C.O. of 5th Ftr Sqdn. was one of
three-man detail to man the Norfolk Information Center as Controller. Also assigned to
Boston Information Center as Controller,
charged with defense of East Coast just after
Pearl Harbor attack. The 52nd and 31 st Grp
were first to go overseas in July, 1942.
Equipped with British Spitfire Mark V's in
North Ireland. Received training under
R.A.F., participated in Dieppe Raid, Convoyed to Gibraltar in November to participate in invasion of North Africa. After Tunisial campaign, was transferred to help create
The North African Training Command. He
received citations flying Spitfires and Hurricans under the command of Col. C. D. Jones, being mentioned in Newsweek Magazine. Also flew A-36 as dive-bomber.
Returned to states in 1944. Checked out
in P-47 at Harding Field, assigned to form the
Pierre South Dakota Aerial Gunnery base in
72nd Ftr Wing, was Director of Training at
Pierre, receiving citation for 10,000 hours
aerial gunnery time at this base which was
accident-free. Also flew P-40 at this base.
Was assigned as Director of Training at
Strother Field, Kansas and separated from
service there in November '45 when "point
system" was installed.
Returned to civilian life and active as Ford
Dealer for number of years before returning
to Lake Charles, La. where he entered the
Tax Division of the Calcasieu Parish School
system in 1967. Active in Rotary Club,
F.C.A., F.G.B.M.I., formed first sanctioned
Walkfest Club in Louisiana and very active in
that movement. Chaired the 1980 P-47
Thunderbolt Pilots Assn. Reunion in Lake
Charles, May 16.18, 1980.
He married Eula Borgeous and they have
four children, Michael, Mary, Danny, and
Anne.
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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John Abbotts
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P-47 transition followed at Pocatello, Idaho and Greenville, Texas after which he was assigned to the 56th Fighter Group in England. When the news of his arrival reached Berlin, Hitler retired to his bunker with his cyanide capsule and revolver. Eva found the news equally depressing.
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Asa A. Adair
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He returned to the States in August of 1944 after participating in the invasion "D" Day. He flew P-63's, P-51's, F-80's, T-33's, F-84's, T-38's, P-47's in numerous assignments during the following twenty years in in, Japan, U.S.A. and Europe before retiring after twenty-six years of Active Duty.
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Edward B. Addison
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The 507th Fighter Group, equipped with P-47N's, won the Presidential Unit Citation for destroying 32 Japanese aircraft in the air on one mission to Seoul, Korea. The average flying time for raids to Korea and Japan would be 7 to 9 hours flying time. In a total of 31 months, the 507th not only provided top cover for B-29's, but also
dive-bombed, napalm-bombed and flew low-level on strafing missions.
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Levon B. Agha-Zarian
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It is rumored that he, took his primary training on a flying rug. He flew Spits, briefly, in England, but as the, war moved to the East, he was sent to India as a Sgt. Pilot and first saw action from Ceylon, flying the Curtiss P.36, the Brewster Buffalo, and the Hurricane. At this point he might have opted for the rug! This was at the time of the fall of Singapore and the sinking of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse.
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George N. Ahles
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Posted to A-20 light bomber squadron Barksdale Field, Louisiana. . Group moved to Hunter Air Base Savannah, Georgia. Qualified for Pilot training November 1940. Entered Aviation Cadets January 1942. Presented wings November 1942 class of 42-J. Married Mary Louise while in Advanced Pilot Training at Craig AFB, Selma, Alabama, September 1942.
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Roy J. Aldritt
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Shortly after the group moved to France he ran into some unseen flak and was forced to make a nylon descent behind the lines; some evasion and a lot of luck had him back with his unit
in 24 hours.
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Eugene J. Amaral
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After graduation from Stonington High School he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in December 1942 and was called to active duty in March, 1943. He received his wings and commission at Spence Field, Georgia as a member of the Class of 43-C.
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Talmadge L. Ambrose
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Flew 84 missions thru VE Day, was downed by 22mm ground fire over Siefried Line. He destroyed 11 enemy aircraft, 9 known confirmed in air and on
ground, including 4 FW 190-D's in one afternoon over Hanover, Germany, April 8, 1945. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, 17 man, Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Pacific Theatre and European Theatre Meda1s with 5 Battle
Stars and Unit Citation Medal.
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John C. Anderson
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After P-47 transition he was assigned to the 406th Fighter Group, 512th Fighter Squadron. (E.T
.0.) He flew 56 missions through January, 1945 destroying supply routes, bridges, and railroads; he also flew close support missions with the ground forces, with attacks on tanks, artillery and enemy positions.
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William Anderson
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It was not always flak,two ME-109's beat the hell out of me one day. The central controller called me and said "Basher-Red Leader do you have contact Bandits," I replied, "I sure do, I'll bring them over the field in 3 minutes, they're chasing me home." Got all the usual medals including two Belgium and two French but one I'm most proud of is the Silver Star -it is the greatest.
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