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George J. Dorval
GEORGE J. DORVAL, First Lieutenant, born September 14, 1922, Waltham
Mass., attended local schools. Enlisted Aviation Cadets 1942. Trained with Class 43-J
but graduated with 43-K at Mission, Texas.
Fighter Training Fort Myers, Florida. Joined
57th Fighter Group, 64th Squadron on Corsica just after D-Day.
Fretful the war would
be over before he saw action proved needless
The 57th's pilots were mightily engaged in
Italy cutting enemy supply lines, attacking
bridges, railroads, trucks, and fortifications
stalling U.S. ground forces. An intermission
"rest leave" for Dorval included ferrying
P-47's across N. Africa and over to Italy
involving work with play.
Pre-dawn darkness and radio problems
invasion day of S. France, found Dorval
flying a solo mission. Not knowing a scattered
squadron had returned piecemeal to base and
hoping to overtake someone, he went on
alone and destroyed the coastal artillery target.
The Air Medal was awarded. On his 45th
mission, October 12, 1944, while strafing
Bergamo airfield, Dorval's plane was hit by
88 mm cannon. Flames roaring through
cockpit (Purple Heart the hardway!), he
bailed out at low level. No one saw the 'chute
open and he was presumed killed (officially
MIA). Badly burned, taken prisoner at gun
point, treated by German doctor Bergamo
Municipal Hospital. Ironically, weeks later
on a stretcher enroute to Stalag 18-A, Spittal,
Austria, lying in a N. Italy railyard, he was
almost killed by his own raiding Black Scorpion Squadron.
Eventually incarcerated
Stalagluft 1, Barth-on-the-Baltic, Germany
Liberated by Russians May 1945, got to
London, England where he was AWOL for a
month enjoying food, freedom, and romance
with an American nurse, Mary P. Anderson,
whom he married a year later. Their children
are: Nancy, Lynne, Connie, Christopher,
and Molly.
Following Air Corps separation, attended
Boston University, graduating 1949 with
B.S. in B.A. Became bank sales specialist for
Burroughs Corporation, later employed by a
bank, moved to California. Started his own
Mortgage Banking company 1960, sold out
1969, returned to retire on a beautiful
Maine farm. "Retirement" involved some
bank and business consulting until a series of
heart troubles encouraged a move south in
1977 to a milder climate.
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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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