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Sylvan L. Kapner
SYLVAN L. KAPNER, born in
Wheeling, West Virginia, January 16, 1924, attended elementary and graduated
from high school in 1942 in his hometown,
Bellaire, Ohio. During his first year of col.
lege at Virginia Polytechnic Institute at
Blacksburg, Virginia, he enlisted in the
USAAF cadet program. Called to active duty
in April, 1943, he went through the Southeast Training Command with the class of 44-A at Maxwell Field, Alabama; Dorr Field, Arcadia, Florida; Greenville, Mississippi;
and graduated from Dothan Field, Alabama
in January, 1944. Having flown P40N's in
advanced, he transitioned in P47's at Camp
Springs, Maryland AAB (now Andrews
Field) and Millville, New Jersey. After 28
days on a Liberty Ship from Newport News
to Naples, Italy, he was assigned to 527
Squadron, 86th Fighter Group, 12th Air
Base at Bastia, Corsica. The 86th was
involved in fighter-bomber operations supporting Mark Clark's 5th Army moving up the West Coast of Italy. During these operations, Kapner flew
P47 D-23 razorbacks and later P47 D-25's and D-27 Bubble Canopies.
He ditched two P-47's in the Mediterranean
near the island of Monte Cristo and was
picked up both times by the British Air Sea
Rescue, once in a Walrus, a 1924 vintage
biplane pusher amphibian. After combat he
stayed in Italy and flew C-47's, C-46's and
the squadron's C-45 executive transport
throughout Europe and North Africa. He
co-piloted a C-47 from Naples to West Palm
Beach which he swears the state-wide engineering officer took one look at when it
landed and said, "Scrap it."
Finishing his education at University of
Southern California in Los Angeles, he went
back to work as an industrial engineer in a
factory in Ohio. From there to New York as
an executive in a pipefitting foundry he met
and marriedd Gloria Hamilton. He and Gloria spent the next 25 years traveling
throughout the United States and South
America during which time he served as a
management consultant to a large variety of
industrial firms and local, state, and federal
government. The first 15 of those years
were spent with a large multi-national consulting firm and the last ten as President of a
small group that he founded and who specialize in productivity improvement for
schools, cities, and counties.
He flies his own Mooney in connection
with his business activities from his home in
Los Angeles throughout the West and Midwest. He and Gloria have two wonderful
children.
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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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