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Wallace W. Furman
WALLACE W. FURMAN, born February 5, 1924, in Hegins, Schuylkill County, PA. He graduated from high school in
1941; attended Coyne Electrical School in
Chicago; operated a service station; was
employed by the Ford Motor Co. in Chester,
PA, and became an army tank driver.
Summer of 1942 he enlisted in the aviation cadet program and was called to active duty on February 18, 1943; was commissioned in the Class of 44-F at Eagle Pass, Texas, and checked out in the P-40.
Next assignment was the 2nd Air Force,
72nd Fighter Wing for P-47 training, completed in May, 1945, with 209 hours Jug
time.
He was transferred to the Far East Air
Force, 5th Fighter Command, 348th Group,
460th Fighter Squadron, which was supplied
with P-51 's.
Wally flew with the 460th until the end of
the war from the island of Ie Shima. He had
the historic experience of seeing the first
atom bomb explode over Hiroshima on
August 7, 1945, Japan time. The observation was made from approximately 75 miles
to the east at 10,000 feet.
On August 12th, two days before Japan
surrendered, the four plane flight of which
he was a part ran into 32 Jap Oscars over
Kyushu. Wally's P-51 was riddled and most
of the tail section was shot off. He was able to
take the plane 350 miles back to base.
Wally was also an observer when the Japanese Envoy to Manila stopped briefly on Ie Shima.
Released from the Air Force in July,
1946, as a 1st Lt., he entered Lebanon
Valley College, Annville, PA in September,
1946; entered Temple University School of
Dentistry and graduated May, 1952. He has
been practicing general dentistry in Valley
View, PA to the present time. His wife's name
is Ferne, and they have one daughter, Anne.
He remained in the reserve until 1952;
joined the P-47 Thunderbolt Pilot's Association in 1945.
His identical twin brother, Whip, has often
stated how happy he was to have P-47 cover
while serving with an armored infantry unit
in Germany. Others loved the P-47 as well as
the pilots who flew them.
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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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