Edward F. Roddy
EDWARD F. RODDY, born 29 June
1919 in Cleveland, Ohio, the last of five
children to Cornelius and Mary Roddy" Commissioned and rated pilot in December 1941 (41-I) he joined the 56th Pursuit Group on
the East Coast. Flying P-36s, P-38s, and
P-47s, he went to the 80th Group and
overseas with the 348th Group, later joining
the 58th Group which he commanded for the
last nine months of WWII. He flew 225
combat missions and ran his P-47 time to
over 1500 hours while flying in New Guinea
(Port Moresby, Dobodura, Finschafen,
Saidor, Noemfor), the Phillipines (Mindoro,
Mangalden, Porac), and Okinawa (Yontan,
Bolo, Machinato). He was credited with eight
confirmed enemy aircraft destroyed (airborne) and many more on the ground. Just
prior to the invasion of Luzon, he managed to
get airborne during a red alert at dawn with
one wingman (C. Andress). Although
delayed to provide base defense cover until
the assigned P38s were airborne, they headed
for Clark Field where they caught a row of
new Georges (4-bladed prop) refueling. In
two high-speed strafing passes they set some
ten or twelve on fire. Two more jugs arrived
and tried to help out. Both were shot down
(Kindred ~ fatal, Atkinson ~ evaded and
escaped some three weeks later). Post-war
tours included Korea combat (F-51s and
B-26s), Pentagon (Requirements), Air
Defense (F-86Ds, F-104s, and F-102s), TAC
(F-100s in France and England), and Japan
(F-51s, B-26s, C-46s).
While leading sixteen jugs from Okinawa
to Kyushu at 8,000 feet, he witnessed the
second A-Bomb detonation (Nagasaki) from
approximately 225 miles away. Intelligence
personnel woke him at midnight to secure
more details after they confirmed that it had
happened. He said it looked like a tangerine
on the horizon, and that he thought it was an
ammunition ship that had been blown up, but
as the cloud began to rise, and he jotted down
the bearings, he realized that it was a long
long way off, and a lot bigger than it first
appeared.
He married Marie Callahan (Worcester,
Mass.) in 1946 and they have five sons, two
daughters, and two grandchildren. He retired
in February 1970 as a colonel with 30 years
service. He completed his university degree
at California State University, Fresno where
he is currently employed as the Environmental Health and Occupational Safety Director.
He still flies, often as the official campus pilot
for the university.
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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