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P47 Pilots Biographies, Last Name Starting With "K"
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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Karl M. Kloeppel
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Accompanied by his Dad they both had their first
airplane ride at Holmes Airport, Queens in
1928 after the Gates Flying Circus moved
over from Teterboro. Still at a very impressionable age he vowed he would become an
airplane pilot from that moment on. He
started flying lessons in 1937, legally soloed
on 1 November 1939 and was employed at a
large CPT Flight School and Seaplane Base
during 1941.
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Joseph A. Knell, Jr.
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It
was during his sophomore year at Loyola
College in 1943 that he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet. He received his "wings" and
Second Lieutenant's "bars" in the class of
44-F at Mission, Texas. His introduction to
the P-47 Thunderbolt came at Harding Field
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he received
150 hours of combat training in this fighter
aircraft.
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Richard A. Knobloch
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Entered military
service 1940, Randolph AFB, Texas. Completed pilot training and commissioned 2nd
Lt. July 1941. Participated in first bombing
of Japan with Jimmy Doolittle on 18 April
1942 launched from USS Hornet. After
Tokyo Raid completed more than 50 bombing missions and returned to States in 1943.
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Kenneth M. Knowles
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He flew P-47s during operational
training at Venice, Florida prior to his assignment to the 512th Squadron, 406th Fighter/Bomber Group in Congaree, South Carolina. Assigned as Assistant Group Operations
Officer with the 406th, he was responsible
for planning and scheduling P-47 combat
operations from March 1944 until V.E. Day.
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Glenn H. Koelling
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Some of his random remembrances which
may stir similar recollections of other flyers
bringing home tree branches and belly dents
from an encounter with a forest during a
strafing run near Lake Como. . .looking out
after a dive bombing run into Brenner Pass
and seeing daylight through a wing where no
daylight should have been and wondering
why the controls still work. . . marveling
how a machine could go through such a solid
wall of flack on a hit of rail yards near Torino I
and come through without a scratch. ...
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Theobaldo Antonio Kopp
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He flew 57 ground attack
missions destroying supply routes, ammunition depots, bridges, railroads and was
downed by 30 and 20mm flack on his last
mission, March 7th, 1945.
He stayed with the partisans in the Paco
Valley until the allied offensive at the end of
April.
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Roger N. Koppang
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513 Sqn. 406 Fighter Group.
Shot down near Cologne on Feb. 25,1945.....
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Walter Joseph Koraleski
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WWII FIGHTER ACE!
Korky Koraleski attended University of Detroit majoring in Aero Engineering before enlisting in Army November, 1941. He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant following graduation from Foster Field flight school in May, 1942. He was assigned to the 50th FG which became 355th FG and sailed with the Group in July, 1943. By the time he reached the ETO he had nearly 600 hours total time. He shot down his first 109 on the Big B Berlin mission March 6, 1944. and his fifth on April 5, 1944 to become the 354FS first ace and the 355th FG’s third air ace behind Olson and Stewart. Captain Koraleski, then 354FS Operations Officer, lost an engine on the 15th of April and bailed out over Utrecht following a flak barrage to become a POW.
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Harry E. Krig
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Returned to the US in May 1945, total of 72
combat missions in P-47's. Destroyed four
enemy aircraft (2 air, 2 ground). Awarded
DFC, Purple Heart, Air Medal with 4 oak leaf
clusters, distinguished unit emblem.
I remained in service with tours in Training Command and Tactical Air Command.
Flew F-51's, F-80's, F-84's, F-86's and F-100 Aircraft.
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Charles H. Kruger
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Trained with group and went
to England with Group on U.S.S. Thurston in
September 1943. Landed in Glasgow, Scotland. Went directly to East Wretham (S.W . of Norwich) and established the 359th Fighter
Group (368,369 and 370 F.S.) 8th Air
Force. Made our debut in combat on 13 December 1943 equipped with P-47 D-6. E.
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