Leonard R. Bennett
LEONARD R. BENNETT, born January 9, 1923, in the little town of Elgin, Nebraska. He attended Elgin Public High School. and graduated in 1940. He
was employed at General Motors in Southgate, California until Pearl Harbor from which time he was employed by Consolidated Steel Company, of Maywood. California.
He enlisted in the Air Corps on January 5,1943, attended South East Training Command and graduated as a fighter pilot from Craig Field, Selma, Alabama in class 43K. Here he and Gladys Bennett of Neligh, Nebraska were married, in the base chapel.
He arrived England April 1944, assigned to the 10th Fighter Squadron 50th Fighter Group. He flew 21 missions, then spent four months in the hospital. Then he returned back to the 10th, for another 80 missions or a total of 101. His squadron was assigned close support of the 1st and 3rd armored division and the 7th Army through France and Germany, destroying vehicles, trains, tanks and etc.
Leonard was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal 15 Clusters, Purple Heart, 5 Battle Stars, European Theater Operations, and the Presidential Unit Citation with 1 Cluster. He was discharged November 10th, 1945, and served for 19 years in the Air Force Reserve Program, where he held a variety of assignments.
He also served 1 year in the Nebraska Air National Guard. He retired as Lt. Col. in 1969. After World War II he decided to return to Elgin and formed Bennett Impl. Inc which sells and services Allis-Chalmers Heston and Farmhand farm equipment along with Perce Irrigation systems. He served on the school board for 9 years and was president 3 years.
Also, he served on the Antelope County Fair Board for 10 years and was President 9 years. He and Gladys have 1 son, 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren. All are engaged in the business of agriculture. He looks forward to spending more of his time on some remote lake in North West Territories.
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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