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Micky took her first airplane ride at age 11 and was hooked on flying. She learned to fly in 1940 at Coffeyville Junior College in the Civil Pilot Training program. The WASP program required that all applicants posses a pilot certificate, so with that in hand, she joined the program in 1943.
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In January of 1944 he enlisted in the Marines and became part of the 5th Division at Camp Pendleton in California. From there he sailed to the island of Maui, Hawaii, for training at Camp Tarawa. He was joined by thousands of men who ranged in age from 16 (or less in some cases) to fifty.
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Lt. Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Retired),1943 - 1965
Harold Brown flew with the famed "Tuskegee Airmen" fighter pilot group in World War II. Named after a flight training facility in Tuskegee, AL the Tuskegee Airmen comprised the four squadrons of the Army Air Corps' 332nd fighter pilot group.
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Lawrence A. Brown was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. Larry served 52 months in World War II including 30 months in real war – invasion of North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
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Bob Carlson entered the Navy in January 1939. After boot camp he was assigned to the USS Oklahoma and reported aboard in May 1939. He was assigned to the band with his battle station being the main mast.
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Lou Chicquette enlisted in the Army Air Corps Cadet Program in the summer of 1942. Lou along with 16 others asked for B29 engine and gunnery school and training. The B29 was the first operational pressurized military aircraft. Lou was designated a tail gunner and also trained to be a flight engineer.
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1/Lt, 37th BS., born March 15, 1921. Graduated from Spring Valley High School 1939; attended University of Wisconsin. Joined Air Corps at Fort Snelling, MN January 12, 1942; graduated as pilot, Class 42J October 30, 1942. Flew a B-26 to North Africa and then given orders to join the 17th BC in June 1943.
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Bonham Cross and his crew were assigned the B-25G model which they flew from Florida to northern Africa by way of South America, Ascension Island and Liberia. From there they arrived on the island of Corsica where a runway had just been completed. Bonham's first of 70 missions began from there the first week of February, 1944.
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Bill Devitt was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on May 25, 1923. He graduated from St. Thomas Military Academy (now St. Thomas Academy) in 1941. As a result of his St. Thomas training, he received in 1943 a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
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Russ Fechter of Red Wing, Minnesota, was a cocky young flyer when he first earned his wings in Douglas, Arizona in late 1944. He went on to train on the B-17 in Hobbs, New Mexico and from there he picked up his crew in Tennessee and before he knew it he was aboard ship on his way to England.
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"Rosie the Riveter".
Rose symbolizes the hard work and determination of the Home Front during WWII.
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Yeoman 2nd Class, 19 years old. On December 7, 1941 the USS Antares was outside of Pearl Harbor at 0500 returning from Canton Island and waiting to enter Pearl Harbor because the sub net didn’t open until 0800. They went around in circles during the time they were waiting.
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February 1963 embarked with Carrier Air Group 14 on USS Constellation (CVA-64) to WESTPAC returning in September 1963.
May 1964 returned to WESTPAC on USS Constellation. On August 5, 1964, CAG-14 commenced combat operations in response to the “Gulf of Tonkin Incident.” Returned to CONUS February 1965.
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Lou
Martin - top of page
Lou Martin, the author of “Wings Over Persia” was an
Air Force pilot for 22 years, nine of which were overseas, and 169 combat
flight hours in Vietnam. He returned in 1970 with the rank of Lt. Col.
After leaving the Air Force, he flew as a captain for Japan Airlines,
and for a charter company in Tehran, Iran. more
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Shipped out from San Francisco to Noumea, New Calidonia Fleet Receiving Center.
July 1944 went aboard the Destroyer Tender U.S.S. Whitney A.D. 4. Went from Noumea to Sydney, Australia for dry dock fumigation and repair. For 10 days we lived ashore while the Australians did ship repair.
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World War II had its Eisenhower. Its MacArthur. Its Patton. And then there were the likes of Jake McNiece, who apparently never saw a fight he didn't like. An enlisted man, McNiece served 3 1/2 stormy years in the Army, and in Europe in World War II became knows as the leader of the "Filthy Thirteen."
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Born May 18, 1923. Liegnitz, Schlesian (Silesia), raised on a farm in Royn, village of 500, County Nieder Schlesian, (Western half of Province of Silesia). Attended private high School 1933-1940. The school was part of the Missionary Community of Herrnhut.
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Sergeant first class Bruce D. Sexton enlisted in the U.S. army in 1943 and was posted to the Asiatic Pacific theatre as a member of the “Americal” division for operations in Bougainville, Southern Philippines, and occupational duty in Japan.
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Born January 12, 1926 at Elliot, Maine Attended Public Schools in Eliot, Me., Portsmouth, NH, and Kittery Maine. Graduated from Robert W. Traip Academy ( Kittery), June 1943. Between high school graduation and call to active duty, employed in Supply Dept. at Portsmouth, NH U.S. Naval Shipyard.
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Of the 25,000 women who applied for training with the WASP’s, only 1,830 were accepted. Among those candidates was Elizabeth Strohfus, of Fairbault, Minnesota. She and the other women were trained at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas.
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At age 17, I enlisted in the United States Air Force, and I would do it all over many times if I had the opportunity. I spent the next 24 years traveling the globe to protect our nation with the Armed Forces of the United States of America, before returning with my wife and two kids to my birthplace Winona, Minnesota.
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Marine Colonel James E. Swett, of San Mateo, California, was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II for shooting down seven Japanese bombers within 15 minutes.
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Joseph received commission 2nd Lt. Infantry on June 16, 1941 and ordered to active duty. 1st Troop duty July 1941 platoon leader for draftees at Camp Wolters, Texas for 10 months. He was assigned to 158th Reg. Combat Team (Bushmasters) in Panama for extensive jungle training to include evaluation of all jungle equipment, food, clothing, weapons, medicines and whatever else the government needed or could dream up.
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