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Martha Davis Rupley
MARTHA DAVIS RUPLEY (Nee
Wagenseil) Women's Airforce Service
Pilot (WASP), World War II. Graduated
WAAFFTD, Class 43-W-2, Houston, Texas.
Assigned Air Transport Command, 6th Ferrying Group, Long Beach AAB, and 21st
Ferrying Group, Palm Springs AAB. TDY:
AAF Instrument School, St. Joseph, Mo.;
AAF Pursuit School, Brownsville, Tex.;
AAF Sthool,Of Applied Tactics, Orlando
AAB, Fla. Pilot rated BC-l, L-6, PT-17,Pt-19,BT-13,BT-15,AT-6,AT-17,UC-78,
UC-74,C-47,C-49,C-60,A-20,B-25, B-17,P-38,P-39,P-40,P-47,P-51,P-63.
Married Capt. William H. Davis, Jr., Long
Beach AAB Chapel, 12 Aug. 1944 (d.Edwards AFB, 27 Oct. 55). Three children:
Kimberly, Tracy, and Erikson.
After 1955: Assistant Printing Coordinator, Douglas Aircraft, Co., Inc., 1957-1958; Editor, GM Defense Research Laboratories, 1962.1967; Editor, General
Research Corporation, 1967.1970. Married
Forrest E. Rupley, Santa Barbara, 28 Dec.
1970 (d. 4 Mar. 75).
Earlier: B.F.A., Syracuse University,
1939; Assistant Art Director, KM&G, Inc.,
Pittsburgh, Pa., 1940-1942.
I bought a Piper SuperCruiser, learned to
fly, joined the Civil Air Patrol, and managed
to get into the local Civilian Pilot Training
Program, the only girl. After Nancy Love
formed the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying
Squadron (WAFS) in Wilmington, Del., Jacqueline Cochran, together with General
H.H. Arnold, planned the women's flight
training program. I applied, was accepted,
and reported to Houston in mid-December,
1942, for primary, basic, advanced, multi-engine, night, and instrument flying.
The rest is history. A real school to train
women pilots was established later at Sweetwater, Texas, and more than 1,000 capable, confident, conscientious young women
joined the ranks of working pilots to release
the men for combat.
In Brownsville I flew my first P-47, a
khaki-colored midget compared to the enormous silver P-47D that I looked up at later at Republic Aviation in Evansville, Ind. It
was not a highly polished locomotive, after
all, but a solid, stable, dependable, forgiving
piece of aerodynamic wizardry, and, of all
the fighters, the easiest to fly.
Even though I had another airplane later
in Santa Barbara, a Cessna 175, civilian flying could not replace military flying for me.
I still look up at every airplane that passes
over, but I traded a lifetime of flying for a
family, and I've never been sorry. I would
like to have had both, but after that October
day in 1955 that was not possible. The
WASPs laid the foundation for the next generation of women, the airline and military pilots of today - while I play tennis and ski
and give thanks each morning that I can lift
up mine eyes unto the beautiful hills beyond
my windows.
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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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