Edwin D. Kettrick
EDWIN D. KETTRICK, born May
22, 1923 in Somerville, Texas, graduated
high school May 22, 1941 after lettering
four years in football, Co-Captain two years
and selected for Texas Who's Who as an
outstanding student.
Ed had an early start in the service enlisting in the Texas National Guard at the age of
16, as a cook. He was discharged in 1940
when the National Guard was Federalized.
Upon graduating high school, he enlisted in
the Army Air Force June 3, 1941 and was
stationed at Kelly Air Base, San Antonio,
Texas where he became an aircraft mechanic.
Transferring to Mission Air Base when it was
in its infancy, he became a squadron clerk
before enlisting as an aviation cadet. Ed went
back to S.A.A.C. at Kelly Field, primary
training at Pine Bluff,Arkansas, basic at
Coffeyville, Kansas and back to Mission for
advanced and graduating Class 43-J.
Flying fighters became a specialty after
having spent 11 months in Panama flying
P-40's and P-39's. The first encounter with
P-47's wasat Westhampton Air Base on Long
Island in the winter of 1944. After 22 hours
flight time in the Jug, he joined the 392nd
Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group in
France, ending up in Bad Soden, Germany
flying support for General Pattons' 3rd
Armored. He flew 35 Missions with an
impressive record which netted the Air Medal
with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Belgian Croix de
Guerre, and related battle ribbons.
After 4 1/2 years of service, he was discharged at Drew Field, Florida on December
22, 1945 after having attained the rank of
1st Lt. Returning to Long Island, Ed and his
wife Alice started civilian life and later had
two children, a son Paul and a daughter Gail.
He has been employed as a welder and iron
worker for a firm that manufactures farm
equipment, custom truck bodies, steel boats,
and refuse containers.
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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