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Jack Harland Morgan
JACK HARLAND MORGAN, born
in Bristow, Oklahoma on July 2nd, 1923.
My father was an oil field worker and moved
with the family several times during my
growing years. I fell in love with airplanes at
age 5 when I saw an old spruce, linen and wire
contraption at Ft. Bliss in EI Paso, Texas.
That love has continued to this day. I enlisted
a few days after Pearl Harbor but was not
sworn in until April, 1942 and did not go on
active duty until May of that year. I washed
out of class 43A because of a physical disability and volunteered for aerial gunnery. I
became an instructor gunner and was stationed at Harlingen and Laredo, Texas. In
April, 1943 I managed to get back into the
cadet program by determination and some
little bit of chicanery.
I took primary training in PT-19's at
Hatbox Field in Muskogee, Oklahoma with
class 44B but had appendicitis and dropped
back to class 44D. From there I went to basic
in BT-13's in Coffeyville, Kansas and
advanced, AT6 training at Foster Field near
Victoria, Texas. After graduation I took gunnery and was given P-40 transition at Foster.
I then went to Wendover AAF in the summer
of 1944 for P47 RTU. I was retained as an
instructor but before I was able to instruct
my first class Colonel Paul Tibbets and his
A-boys took over the Base at Wendover and I
was sent to Pocatello AAF in Idaho for
further training. From there I went to the
64th FS, 57th FG in Grossetto, Italy. I flew
56 combat missions with the "Yellow Nose"
squadron before the war was over and managed to garner the air medal and two clusters
for my work there.
After the war I got out of service and stayed
out until 1952 when I was recalled. I served
in the Central Air Defense Force, the Tactical Air Command in England and in the
Strategic Air Command in Spain, California
and Washington State. I wound up my career
flying AC-119 Gunships (Shadows) in Vietnam.
I had a few "hairy" missions in the Jug but
the worst was just before the war was over.
During a strafing mission along the Po River
I was hit with some 40mm stuff and my plane
caught fire. The fire was in the wheel well and
blew out when I lowered the gear. I went for
an emergency landing at a front line British
base and landed with no hydraulics, no flaps
and a flat tire on the right side. That beautiful
old bird never even ground-looped!
I ended the war with about 315 hours in
the Thunderbolt.
I am now a writer-photographer and do
some public relations work.
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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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