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Charles T. Gagel
CHARLES T. GAGEL, born December 18, 1922 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Attended the University of Louisville before
and after WW II, with a major in Mechanical
Engineering.
He enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in October 1942 and after being called to duty,
graduated in the class of 44-E at Aloe Field,
Victoria, Texas. After training in the P-47 at
Harding Field, Baton Rouge, La., he
reported for overseas duty in the Southwest
Pacific Theatre.
Typically routine for the Air Corps, after
all that training in the P-47 , his first combat
mission was flown in the P-51 out of New
Guinea. He was assigned to the 360th Service
Group, 5th Air Force and then assigned to
the 58th Fighter Group, 311th Fighter
Squadron, 5th Air Force where he remained
in the P-47 until returning to the States.
He flew 67 combat missions from New
Guinea, through the Philippines and on to
Okinawa from which point the 58th hit the
southern coast of Japan doing escort and
ground attack missions. After the second
Atomic bomb was dropped at Nagasaki, and
the Japanese surrender, he was sent home in
January 1946. Other than the usual medals,
he received the Air Medal with one cluster.
He was separated from service as a First
Lieutenant.
He married Marian Weir in 1942 and has
two children, Charles and Marsha (Shryock),
both married. Each of these marriages provided him with two grandchildren for a total of four, Gina, Scott, Zachary and Patrick. He has spent his business career in
mechanical design and manufacturing management of industrial refuse handling equipment and at present is Vice President of
TRI-PAK SYSTEMS COMPANY in Louisville, Kentucky where he has been for the
past fifteen years.
He is a Certified Manufacturing Engineer,
member of the Order of the Moose- Masonic
Order, Toastmasters International, Society
of Manufacturing Engineers, a Kentucky
Colonel and of course the P-47 Fighter Pilots
Association.
His hobbies include Golf, Fishing, Hunting, Boating, Wild Turkey Whiskey Decanter
Collecting, and Gun Collecting.
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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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