Individual Details

Birth

From obituary.

Census

Age 8

Census

Age 18, living with parents.

Military

From obituary. He entered the military in October of 1941 and was in air gunnery school in Tallahassee, Florida, training on P38’s, when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese. He shipped out to New Guinea on April 1, 1942. He flew over 70 missions in 31 days against the superior forces of Imperial Japan in support of British and Australian forces after the fall of the British Colony of Singapore. Outnumbered and insufficiently trained, his squadron suffered 80% casualties in the first ten days. He took command of the squadron after his own commander was killed on the second day. He survived being shot down once himself, spending three days and two nights in a raft at sea before being rescued. On another occasion, he barely escaped with his life when an engine failed on takeoff and he crashed into the jungle. His injuries required prolonged hospitalization and rehabilitation for the remainder of the war.

Death

From obituary.

Burial

From obituary.