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William Mullins
WILLIAM MULLINS, ("MOON")
born March 18,1925, in Sweetwater, Texas.
He graduated from high school in Sweetwater
and joined the Army Air Corps in 1943. He
completed flight training at the age of 18 in
the Southwest training command at San
Antonio; Muskogee, Oklahoma; Coffeeville,
Kansas and Victoria, Texas. After completing
fighter transition training in P40's in the
Third Air Force in Florida, he joined the
Eighth Air Force in Gox Hill, England, for
P-51 transition. He was then transferred to
the Ninth Air Force in France, where he
joined the 373 Fighter Group and checked
out in P47's. He flew 57 missions, mostly
armed reconnaissance over Belgium, Holland and Germany, with the 411th Squadron. In the Squadron's last mission of the
war, he took part in a dive bombing attack on
two submarines in the Baltic Sea.
After a few weeks at the French Riveria, he
returned to Sweetwater and married Lucy
Jones. He attended Texas Technological College in Lubbock and received a Bachelor's
Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1950.
Since that time, he has worked as a structural
designer and stress analyst in the aerospace
industry, taking part in the design of several
airplanes including the F7U, B57, F4, B70,
T38, and F5. He did strength analysis on the
Apollo Earth Landing System parachutes and
published a method for stress analysis of
parachutes that is now in the Air Force
Parachute Handbook. He is now engaged in
the design of radio control target drones and
other pilotless airplanes for the Ventura Division of the Northrop Corporation.
He lives in Newbury Park, California, and
is still married to Lucy. They have three
children and four grandchildren so far. He
looks much younger than most of the members of the P47 Thunderbolt Pilot's Association.
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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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