This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Barbara Roesch-Family
to remember
Breece, David Sessions, Lt Col.
If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Last Address Fayetteville, NC
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Served Africa 1942-1943; transferred to "Ferry Command" in Long Beach, CA in an aircraft maintenance/inspection capacity. This command used the women pilots to return aircraft to assigned bases. Before discharge he spent time at "Sunken Lunken" AFB in Cincinnati OH, so named after a heavy storm caused serious flooding. About 1946 he was discharged to civilian life. He was recalled c1950 for duty in Japan during Korean War, as non-combat pilot. He was an avid sportsman and acted as an ambassador of sorts at the Tokyo Tennis Club and spoke on the radio to Japanese youth giving them encouragement to persevere through hard times.
Transferred mainland in 1954, he decided to remain in the Air Force and was attached to Norton AFB 1954-1958, San Bernardino, CA; Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH 1958-1961 and finally Vandenburg AFB, Lompoc, CA 1961-1965. I believe most of his post war service involved some type of quality control function as he was attached to the Inspector General's Office in OH and spent two weeks of every month traveling to bases around the Pacific.
Other Comments:
After my father retired, he became a graduate from the Professional Golfer's Association and moved to Gold Rush country in CA where he sold real estate, played golf and generally enjoyed his much deserved last 36 years of life.
1944-1946, C-45 Expeditor
From Year 1944
To Year 1946
Personal Memories
Qualified Apr 44
Image
C-45 Expeditor Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
The Model 18 Twin Beech twin-engine aircraft were designed by Beech as a response to global tension in the late 1930s. After the prototype took flight in 1937, China issued a order amounting to $750,000 to convert these aircraft into light bombers, but only 39 were delivered by the time China entered WW2 in Jul 1937. As the United States geared for war, the Model 18 design were built as US Army AT-7 Navigator, AT-11 Kansan, and C-45 Expeditor aircraft and US Navy SNB Kansan, JRB Kansan, and UC-45 Expeditor Navigator aircraft. They were used as transports or trainers. After the war, the US Air Force kept C-45 aircraft in use until 1963, Navy SNB aircraft until 1972, and US Army C-45 aircraft until 1976. The production of the Model 18 aircraft did not stop until 1970, with the last model exported to Japan Airlines, making the design the longest continuous production of a piston engine aircraft; a total of nearly 8,000 were built during the production life. In addition to the production record, Model 18 also held the most US Federal Aviation Administration-approved Supplemental Type Certificates of any aircraft design (over 200), making it the most modified American aircraft. In the civilian world, they were used for a wide variety of functions, including pesticide spraying, fish seeding, firefighting, ambulance service, and cargo and passenger transportation.
Source: Wikipedia.
SPECIFICATIONS
UC-45 Machinery Two Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 'Wasp Junior' radial engines rated at 450hp each Span 14.53 m Length 10.41 m Height 2.95 m Wing Area 32.40 mē Weight, Empty 2,800 kg Weight, Loaded 3,400 kg Weight, Maximum 3,959 kg Speed, Maximum 360 km/h Rate of Climb 9.40 m/s Service Ceiling 7,930 m Range, Normal 1,200 km