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Jack A. Quinlan
JACK A. QUINLAN, born October
20, 1923, at Marceline, Missouri. When
Jack was about five years of age the family
moved to Topeka, Kansas, where he attended
the public schools and was graduated from
Topeka High School in the Spring of 1941.
He then enrolled at Washburn Municipal
University in Topeka where he played varsity
football. Shortly after Pearl Harbor he
enlisted in the U.S. Army Aviation Cadet
Program where he was assigned to the West-Coast Training Command. He completed Pre-flight training at Santa Ana, California; primary at Tulare, California; out of basic training at Merced, California, and received
his wings and commission at Luke Field,
Arizona. He was then assigned to the 6th
Night Fighters Squadron of the Fifteenth
Fighter Group on the Island of Oahu in
Hawaii. There he flew P-39s and P-47s. He
was then reassigned to the 5th Air Force to
the 348th Fighter Group, 340th Fighter
Squadron. He joined the Squadron in group
at Port Moresby, New Guinea. He then flew
all types of missions in New Guinea, the
Halmaheras, the Phillipines, and was stationed at IE Shima when the war in the
Pacific ended. During this period of time he
flew P-47s and his squadron was later
assigned P-51s. In May of 1944 he was shot
down over Wewak, New Guinea when his
squadron was on a strafing mission at Wewak.
He was able to find his way out of the jungle
after nineteen days and was subsequently
hospitalized at Port'Moresby, New Guinea.
He then returned to combat duty where he
completed flying some approximately 200
missions. He was credited with having shot
down 208 enemy aircraft from New Guinea
through Ie Shima. The last two aircraft were
shot down over the Southern Islands of
Japan.
Released from active duty in March of
1945, he returned to Washburn Municipal
University where he completed the undergraduate work for his degree. He then continued on to law school and was graduated with
a J.D. Degree. He has been in the private
practice of law in the City of Topeka and is
the senior member of the law firm of SCOTT,
QUINLAN & HECHT.
He married Imogene Ransdell in 1946. They have three children, and presently have three grandchildren.
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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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