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George E. Cooper
GEORGE E. COOPER, born May 17,
1916, in Burley, Idaho. A graduate of Van
Nuys High School in California and University of California, Berkeley, in engineering,
with subsequent graduate studies at Stanford
University after World War II.
Originally commissioned second lieutenant in the Ordnance Reserve in 1940, he was called to active duty in April 1941 while
working as an engineer at Lockheed, and
served with an Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company at Aberdeen Proving
Ground; Camp Forrest, Tennessee; Camp
Blanding, Florida; and with a brief tour as
assistant ordnance officer, Second Army
Corps (Task Force A), and at Camp A.P- Hill,
Va., and Camp Sutton, North Carolina.
His company was overlooked during shipment to the African campaign, at which time he applied for pilot training and transferred
to the Air Corps, receiving flight training as
a first lieutenant in the Southeast Training
Command, stationed subsequently at Maxwell Field, Jackson, Miss.; Greenville, Miss., and Selma, Ala. Operational Flight Training
in P-47's was received at Richmond, Virgin-
ia, and Dover, Delaware, where he served for
a brief period as instructor before being
assigned overseas to the 412th Fighter
Squadron of the 373rd Fighter-Bomber
Group.
Joining the 412th in May, 1944, he flew
a variety of aerial cover missions prior to and
including D-Day, and subsequently completed his 81 missions with the 9th Air Force, primarily in ground support, being credited
with four aircraft shot down in aerial combat,
two F-I09's and two F-190's, two each on
two missions.
Discharged in May 1945, he went to work
as an engineering test pilot for the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. He was
chief research test pilot in 1951 and Chief of
Flight Operations in 1957. He also served as
Assistant Director of Safety (Aviation) in
Washington, D.C. in 1969-1970.
Since retiring in 1973, he has continued
as an aeronautical consultant specializing in
human factors and aviation safety.
He married Louise Garrod January 25,
1941, and they have four children, Bill, Jim,
Barbara, and Dave.
He was awarded two Distinguished Flying
Crosses and 17 air medals. He is a Fellow of
the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and
Associate Fellow of AIAA.
His awards include: 1954, Octave Chanute Award; 1955, Arthur S. Fleming Award;
1966, Admiral Louis deFlores Flight Safety
Award; 1971, Richard Hansford Burrow,
Jr., Test Pilot Award.
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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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