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Madge Rutherford Minton
MADGE RUTHERFORD MINTON, born March 22,1920 in Greensburg,
Indiana, won her wings in 1940 as the only
woman member of the first Civilian Pilots'
Training Program in Indiana, Butler University, Indianapolis. Ex-barnstormer Elvan Tarkington taught Madge to fly in a Rearwin
9000. Later Virgil Simmons taught her aerobatics in an open cockpit biplane Waco
PT-14 and a bastard Fleet #1 with a #7
empennage.
In November 1942 Madge volunteered to
fly for the British Air Transport Auxiliary,
was turned down for lack of hours. In January, 1943 Jacqueline Cochran asked her to
fly in the newly organized women pilots'
program for the Army Air Corps. After training at Sweetwater, Texas, Madge was assigned
to the Ferrying Division of the Air Transport
Command at Signal Hill, Long Beach, California. She ferried May tag Messerschmitts,
double-breasted Cubs, and Texans. In January 1944, Madge got her instrument rating
on a C-46 at St. Joe, Missouri. She flew the
right seat for SNAFU in C-54's and B-17's.
Later that spring she went to Brownsville,
Texas where she checked out in the P-39,
P-40, P-51, and the Thunderbolt, P-47 . She
ferried pursuits until Congress denied the
women pilots their promised military status
in late 1944.
Madge and Sherman Minton, Jr. married
in San Diego, October 10, 1943. Lt. Minton
served as medical officer on the USS Brooks,
an attack-patrol destroyer in the So-Pac until
the ship was kamikazed in January 1945.
The Mintons have three daughters; Brooks
de Cervantes, April M. Childers, and Holly S.
Minton; also two grandchildren; Ana Natasha Cervantes, and Benjamin Minton Childers.
Madge and Sherman are recognized herpetologists. They work as a scientific team,
collecting venomous reptiles and studying
their biology; scuba-diving to observe sea-snakes on the Barrier Reef and studying their
behavior. They have co-authored two books;
Venomous Reptiles, 1969, and Giant Reptiles, 1973, Chas. Scribners Sons, publisher.
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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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