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P47 Pilots Biographies, Last Name Starting With "D"
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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Robert R. Deen
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Due to lack of fuel 93rd was detached
to Gushkara, India and pilots from other two
squadrons rotated through to maintain proficiency. During 20 months in CBI managed to acquire a grand total of two combat missions;
both of which are still the lot of the interceptor pilot - early morning, not yet light, soup
on the deck and up to just above assigned
angels and "Bogey" identified as friendly
just after wheels are in the well. Only then we
had no instrument training, a bare bones
cockpit and no nav aids. Don't tell me Jug
pilots knew no fear!
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John T. Delaney
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On March 24, 1945 he flew a flak
suppression mission in support of the airborne
invasion across the northern Rhine at Wesel,
Germany. He and his aircraft were hit by
ground fire. He bailed out and was injured
further when he hit the vertical fin of his
Thunderbolt. He was captured by a German
anti-aircraft unit.
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William F. DeSante
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.....was assigned
to Mokalaie Air Base, Oahu for final training
before tactical assignment in 318th Fighter
Group (73rd Fighter Squadron) on Ie Shima.
Operated from this base with strikes on the
Japanese island of Kyushu :until the cessation
of hostilities. At that time was transferred to
507th Fighter Group and then to Headquarters 8th A.F. on Okinawa as Staff Classification and Assignment officer until August
1946.
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Robert D. Dillon, Jr.
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ROBERT D. DILLON, JR., born
October 8, 1924 in New Orleans, La. and
was educated in public schools. As soon as he
reached 18 yrs. old he enlisted in the Air
Corps as a private and was assigned to Randolph Field. At Randolph he passed the cadet exam and then was sent to Santa Anna, Calif.
for pre-flight, Ryan Field for primary, Maranna for basic, and finished at Williams Field in Class 44-A in P-38's.
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William C. Diman
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WILLIAM C. DIMAN, born Septemberr 18, 1919, in Cranston, Rhode Island.
Graduated from that city's high school in
1937 and became a professional acrobat,
performing in night clubs and theaters. His partner and he were billed as "The Aristocrats of Balance."
The day after Pearl Harbor he enlisted in
the Army Air Corps and was sworn in the day
after Christmas. His first assignment was
changing engines on Bell Air Cobras, P-39's.
In order to qualify for cadet training,
Corporal Diman studied algebra, trigonometry, etc., in the evening while the rest of the camp slept
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Edward J. DiMarzo
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My first experience with
the "Jug" was at R.T.U. Camp Springs AAB.
Md. Received gunnery training in Millville,
N.J. and then to Camp Kilmer and the USS
Lejeune to Southampton, England. From
there to Stone and then Paris. I was assigned
to the 371st Ftr. Grp. at Y-l Tantonville,
France and became a member of the 404th
Sqdn. Learned to love the ruggedness and fire
power of the P-47 while flying 59 combat
missions, mostly close support. On my fifth
mission I received a probable kill of a FW-190.
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Robert E. (Gunga) Dinn
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Attended St.
Meinrad Seminary, Notre Dame University.
In December 1941 entered Army as dogfoot
shipped out to Camp Roberts, Calif. in March
headed to Ft. Benning, Ga. came out of OCS
37 as shavetail in June. Helped activate the
102nd Inf. Div. at Camp Maxey in Texas. In
1943 headed into the wild blue yonder.
Chickasha, Okla., Coffeyville, Kans., Eagle
Pass, Texas. Held breath for nine months
finally got wings with 44C.
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Ted R. Dobrick
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Ted flew P-40's in transition training prior
to being assigned to P-47's for operational
training in Oxford, England.
Ted was then assigned to the 36th Fighter
Group, 23rd Fighter Squadron which he
joined at Strip A-16 in France.
He was shot down by "flak," (20 mm AA)
on his 6th mission over Nancy, France,
"bellied his P-47 in" and returned to his
outfit to fly on to 95 missions of dive bombing - strafing tanks, artillery, trains, bridges
and supply lines, by VE Day.
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Wayne S. Dodds
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Mid 1944, Dodds
transferred to Mediterranean Theater and
assigned to the 57th Fighter Group, 66th
Fighter Squadron. The 57th was committed
to "Operation Strangle," cutting off of supplies to enemy forces in Italy. He flew 105
missions through VE Day destroying supply
routes, ammunition depots, bridges, railroads, tunnels, close support attacks on tanks
and artillery. He was downed by 20 mm
ground fire on the 54th mission and required
31 days to maneuver through enemy lines to
friendly territory.
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Daniel A. Donovan
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DANIEL A. DONOVAN, born on 10
October 1920 into a shoe manufacturing
family in Lynn, Mass. and, after a time at
Northeastern University in Boston, entered
the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Myer,
VA in 1940 moving quickly to 1st Sgt. of the
veterinary section.
When the horses were exchanged for jeeps,
he exchanged his for an airplane and graduated in class 43-1 at Moore Field, Texas. He
was married on that day to Helen Lucas of
Peabody, Mass.
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