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Leon E. Jansen
LEON E. JANSEN, born 21 April
1919 in Wichita, Kansas, eldest son of Mr.
and Mrs. Nels L. Jansen. Following graduation from High School at Attica, Kansas, parents moved to Wyoming and subsequently
to the state of Washington. In 1941 while
attending aircraft engineering school in Los
Angeles, California he joined the U.S. Army
at Fort MacArthur and soon thereafter re-enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Attended the
Aircraft Armament School at Lowry Field,
Colorado, after completion of training in the
armament school he was assigned as an
instructor in the school until being accepted
as an Aviation Cadet candidate for the Class
of 43-H. Graduated and commissioned at
Napier Field, Alabama in August 1943. First
assignment other than training units was with
the 57th Fighter Group, 66th Fighter
Squadron in the Mediterranean Theater. He
flew 110 missions prior to being returned to
the United States for R&R with orders to
return to his unit after thirty days leave in
the Zone of Interior. He flew an additional
45 missions during his second tour with the
66th Fighter Squadron accumulating a total
of 155 missions in the P-47. He was awarded
the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak
Leaf Cluster and the Air Medal with eight
Oak Leaf Clusters.
Released from active duty in May 1945 as
a Captain he was employed by Eastern Air
Lines in Birmingham, Alabama as a Flight
Operations Agent. In 1951 he was recalled to
active duty with the Alabama Air National
Guard, subsequently being transferred to
Europe with the 10th Tactical Recon Wing
in support of NATO forces. During his active
duty tenure from 1951 to 1953 transition
from conventional prop type fighter aircraft
to jet-type was accomplished and a memorable Trans-Atlantic wintertime flight from Columbus, Georgia to Munich, Germany was
experienced in a Lockheed F-80. He was
released from active duty in June 1953 and
returned to his employment with Eastern
Airlines as a Flight Dispatcher, currently
(April 1980) active with Eastern as a Chief
Flight Dispatcher based in Miami, Florida.
He married Joyce L. Waller in 1961 and
has three sons, Ronald, Gregory and David.
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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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