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John M. Balason
JOHN M. BALASON, born October 18, 1923 in San Diego, California. Graduated from San Diego High School and immediately entered Aviation Cadet training one month after the Pearl Harbor attack.
Balason holds the distinction of being the first Aviation Cadet in USAAF history to receive his commission and pilots wings while 18 years of age, graduating with class 42.H August 27,1942.
His first assignment was with the 326th Fighter Squadron at Hamilton Field, California flying P.39's.
Following a number of rapid reassignments, Balason ended up serving one year in the Aleutian Islands with the 18th Fighter Squadron flying P-40's. He participated in dive bombing and strafing missions against Japanese installations on the Island of Kiska. Shortly after being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross he was awarded the Air Medal for volunteering to flying additional sorties over and above normal mission requirements.
After rotational transfer back to the Z.I. he requested reassignment to combat duty in Europe. Having relatives in Nazi occupied Greece, Balason
felt a strong compulsion to serve in that theater of operations. He arrived in England October 1944 and was assigned to the 353rd Fighter Group which
had just transitioned from P-47's to P.51's.
While leading a flight on his 36th mission over Germany, Balason spotted and pursued a German F. W. 262 jet fighter on a chase that led all the way across to Berlin. Losing the jet in a thick haze layer over Berlin, he took up a heading back to England. To relieve the boredom, Balason went down on the deck and blew up a locomotive
he had observed at altitude. A few seconds after making his strafing pass he received a hit in his left wing tank and a fire started immediately in the cockpit. The paralyzing effect of the intense heat made climbing out of the cockpit impossible.
After resigning himself to having "bought the farm" and with great misgivings about not being able to meet his date that night for the dance at the officers club, Balason was somehow thrown clear of the aircraft. The chute opened just a few seconds before hitting the ground. So February 22, 1945 was day one as a German POW.
Six weeks after his internment in Dulag Luft III, General Patton's Third Armored Division liberated his POW Camp.
Returning to the Z.I., Balason was billeted in a plush resort hotel on Santa Monica Beach for repatriated prisoners. Following this pleasant two month interlude, it was back to business with an assignment to Indian Springs Air Base, flying P-63 King Cobras.
With the surrender of Japan, he requested occupation duty in Europe and was transferred to the 79th Fighter Group in Linz, Austria flying P-47s. This assignment was cut short due to an Air Force wide reduction in forces Captain Balason was discharged from active duty March 1947.
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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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