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Contact Info
Home Town Abilene, Texas
Last Address Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo, Texas
Date of Passing Oct 22, 1951
Location of Interment Elmwood Memorial Park - Abilene, Texas
He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program on Feb 3, 1943, graduating and receiving pilot's wings and a commission as 2nd Lieutenant on Dec 5, 1943 at Eagle Pass, Texas. He was sent for further flight training, and then assigned to Westover AAF with the 352nd Fighter Group for combat training.
He was assigned to the 487th Fighter Squadron located at Bodney Field, England in Apr 1944. After check-out training in the P-51, he began flying escort and fighter sweep missions over France and Germany. During his stay with the 487th, he was credited with 5 aerial victories plus 1 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. Most of the time, he flew as wingman to the famed ace, Colonel John C. Meyer, Group Commanding Officer who had 24 aerial victories.
After the war, he was assigned to the 3545th Pilot Training Wing at Goodfellow AFB, Texas, as a instructor pilot. He was killed in an AT-6 crash on a training flight on Oct 22, 1951.
Aircraft/Missile Information
General characteristics
* Crew: two (student and instructor) * Length: 29 ft (8.84 m) * Wingspan: 42 ft (12.81 m) * Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.57 m) * Wing area: 253.7 ft (23.6 m) * Empty weight: 4,158 lb (1,886 kg) * Loaded weight: 5,617 lb (2,548 kg) * Powerplant: 1 Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp radial engine, 600 hp (450 kW)
Performance
* Maximum speed: 208 mph at 5,000 ft (335 km/h at 1,500 m) * Cruise speed: 145 mph (233 km/h) * Range: 730 miles (1,175 km) * Service ceiling 24,200 ft (7,400 m) * Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s) * Wing loading: lb/ft (kg/m) * Power/mass: hp/lb (kW/kg)
Armament
* Provision for up to 3 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun