|
Anna (Flynn) Monkiewicz
ANNA (FLYNN) MONKIEWICZ,
born April 4, 1919 in Natick, Massachusetts,
graduated from Natick High in 1937. First
bitten by the flying bug at the tender age of
8 when Lindbergh made his historic solo
across the Atlantic, it wasn't until 1942 that
her dreams became a reality. She went to
work for Piper Aircraft in Lock Haven,
Pennsylvania and there obtained her private
license.
In April of 1943 she went to Sweetwater,
Texas for six months of cadet training with a
group of women, later called the WASP
(Women Airforce Service Pilots). In October
she was assigned to Romulus AAB in Michigan where she was engaged in ferrying trainers and liaison aircraft. In May she got her
instrument and multi-engine rating at St.
Joseph, Missouri, and in July went to
Brownsville, Texas where she checked out on
the P40, P47, P-51, P-39 and P-63. From
that time until December 1944 she ferried
these fighters from factory to field throughout the country. The majority of her last six
months in the ATC was spent in Farmingdale,
New York and Evansville, Indiana on the
Republic-Newark shuttle.
There were no decorations, no medals
indeed, nothing to distinguish Anna's service
as a Jug jockey, save perhaps a hasty landing
in Goldsboro, North Carolina when the cockpit of her Jug began unaccountably to fill
with raw gasoline. At 800' bailing out was out
of the question; she circled back and landed,
departing the ship before it stopped rolling.
(no fire, but badly burned feet and ankles
from the high octane gas.) The only thing
resembling combat was a minor 3-way skirmish involving two tower operators in Oakland and San Francisco around a Lady-which-field-are-landing-at ... Neither-one-if-I-can't-get-the-gear-down situation. So much
for the heroine stuff. . .
Following disbandment in December of
1944, Anna joined four other ex-Wasps in
Willoughby, Ohio where she obtained her
instructor's rating and taught at Lost Nation
Airport for the rest of the summer of '45.
When the weather turned sour she went to
Los Angeles where she taught and ferried
until 1951 when marriage and six children
effectively grounded her for all time (except
for an occasional flight now and then just to
see if she can still get it off the ground and
back down in one piece.) She can.
Presently, Anna is working for the State of
Oregon as Administrative Assistant with Children's Services Division. For diversion, she is
a reserve police officer with The Dalles City
Police in Oregon, and still rides "shotgun"
evenings and weekends.
|
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.
|
|
|