EDGAR G. OBIE, born Sept. 29, 1918 at Havre, Mt. Went to school at Chinook, Mt. of which I graduated from in 1937. Before entering the service, I farmed in the summer with my Father and was a coal mine hoist operator in the winter.

I enlisted in the Army Air Corp in Sept. of 1941. I graduated from Air Corp mechanic school in June of 1942. I graduated as a flight engineer on B-17 and B-24 in July 1942.

I was graduated and commissioned from Aviation Cadet on July 28, 1943 at Marianna, Florida. I joined P-47 Squadron at Charleston, S.C. 36th F.G. 53rd F.S. and flew 300 hours as test pilot and training for combat. I had 3 forced landings breaking the blower gear drive and had a four inch cres- cent wrench lock ailerons in full right posi- tion. This happened while strafing, which makes for a pretty tough landing.

My best friend Lt. Bogard was killed in the winter of 1943. We climbed our planes to 45,000', we were testing what they then called compressability. He dove steeper than I did and never pulled out. I pulled out at five to ten thousand feet above ground and made it, we figure we were doing about 800 M.P .H. I was not hurt nor was the airplane.

We went overseas early in 1944 E.T.O. We flew a couple escort missions with B-17 and B-24 but later mostly strafing and dive bombing.

I flew 75 missions - 3 missions on D-day. I had eight of my planes shot up bad enough to go to repair depot but these 47's were real tough. I never bailed out and always managed to get them back to home base.

I received the Purple Heart in May of 1944, Air Medal with eleven Oak Leaf Clusters, European African Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon with 4 Bronze Stars, and American Defense Service Ribbon.

The last few months I was flight-leader but when I got my 75 missions in I decided to call it quits, a DEAD CAP'T. isn't worth a damn.

I returned home about Christmas, was married to Dorothy C. Chapman, on Jan. 31st, 1945. I was then sent to San Angelo, Texas as an Instructor. I got out of the service in June 1945 and started my own Flying Service here in Chinook, Mt. and have been doing Air-Taxi, Aerial Spraying and Flight Instruction for 35 years. We have two sons, Edgar Lee who is 30 yrs. old, has a degree in Business Education and Business Administration and is now my Chief Pilot. The younger son, Larry is 26 years old and a Graduate of Pacific University in Oregon, and is a Dr. of Optometry.

My operation consists of two spray planes, three air-taxi planes and one student and rental aircraft. I am 61 years old with 25,000 hrs. flying time, so one of these years I hope to retire. I am serving as Mayor of the City of Chinook at the present time and after ten years of that I'm ready to retire from that too.

I am a Life Member of the P.47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association.