|
Marvin W. Miller
MARVIN W. MILLER, born and
raised in Southern California. He joined the
Army as an Aviation Cadet in 1942. While
still 19 years old he graduated with Class
44-D at Luke Field, Arizona. He went directly into P.47 training at Abilene, Texas. His
next assignment was to the 390th Fighter
Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, 9th Air
Force at Laon, France. He completed 65
missions of ground support, tank, train,
bridge, barge and truck busting. On his one
encounter with enemy aircraft he scored one
confirmed and one probably over long nosed
FW-190's. He finished his P-47 flying experience with about 900 hours of "Jug" time.
Having decided to make a career of the
military, he remained in Germany after the
war for about a year and received a Regular
Army Commission. Thereafter, he had a long
series of assignments involving command of
fighter units and other duties closely associated with the fighter mission. He flew virtually every fighter aircraft from the P-40
through the mach 2 F-4 and F-106, for a
total of over 7,000 hours, practically all in
single engine fighters. He did a tour of
exchange duty with the US Navy and made
over 100 carrier landings aboard the USS
Midway, flying the F9F Panther. He completed 65 missions in Viet Nam flying the,
F-1OO and F-102. He retired from the US Air
Force early in 1974 as a Colonel after over
31 years of continuous active duty. His
awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal
with 10 clusters, Belgian Fourragere, US
Naval Aviators Wings and the Republic of
China Pilot Wings.
He married Ethel Lytch in 1945. She is a
former WASP whom he met while in P-47
training at Abilene, Texas. They had four
children: Twin boys, Jim and Bill (Bill was
killed in Viet Nam), and daughters Patricia
and Katherine.
|
Pilot Name
|
Biography Summary
|
|
John Abbotts
|
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.
|
|
Asa A. Adair
|
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.
|
|
Edward B. Addison
|
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.
|
|
Levon B. Agha-Zarian
|
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.
|
|
George N. Ahles
|
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.
|
|
Roy J. Aldritt
|
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.
|
|
Eugene J. Amaral
|
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.
|
|
Talmadge L. Ambrose
|
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.
|
|
John C. Anderson
|
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.
|
|
William Anderson
|
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.
|
|
|