Ernest D. Davis, Sr.
ERNEST D. DAVIS, SR., MAJOR
USAF (RET.), born 18 August 1921 in New
York City, attended Cornell University and
Pratt Institute for two years before attempting to enter the Aviation Cadet program in
1940. Unable to pass the rigid visual acuity
test, he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in
September and a year later applied for the
Aviation Student Pilot Program.
After Pearl Harbor, he was transferred
from Keesler Field to Miami Beach, where he
was a member of the cadre for the Officer
Candidate School and was acting First Sergeant of a Sq. until April 1942 when he
received orders for Flight Training and
entered class 42-K at Kelly Field, graduating
as a Flight Officer in December 1942. Initial
combat training was at Barksdale Field.
He flew a B-26 across the South Atlantic
route to join his Sq. in the ETO and after
completing 50 missions and 181 hrs., he was
reassigned to Lake Charles, La., flying the
first models of the A-26 Invader. He later was
assigned to New Castle, Del., where he flew
the P-38, P-51 and A-26. Assignments in
Brazil, Texas and Louisiana led to his transfer
to the 36th Ftr. Wg. at Furstenfeldbruck,
Gy., where he received his Senior Pilot rating
as a 1st Lt. and was upgraded to P-80 and
P-84 jets which he flew for 3 1/2 yrs.
1952 brought assignment to the 1738th
Ferry Sq. in Long Beach, Calif. where he
again flew P-47s delivering them to the
Caribbean Island Nations and South America. He then flew F-86 and F-100 jets and was
assigned as Det. Comm. at North American
Aviation. During this period he delivered jet
fighters across the North Atlantic on "High
Flights" where, as Mission Commander for
10 missions, he received an Air Medal. Transferring in 1957 to Osan AFB Korea, he was
an Operations Officer with the 311th Ftr.
Sq. where he was awarded his Command Pilot
Rating. Returning to Andrews AFB, he
served until his retirement as a Major in
1963.
During his military career he flew nearly
5,000 hrs. with over 1,000 hrs. in the P-47.
His awards include the Distinguished Flying
Cross w /1 cluster, the Purple Heart and the
Air Medal w /9 clusters.
After retirement he wrote "The Eagle is
Dead" published in 1977. He received his BS
from University of Maryland and is a charter
member and Past President of the South Dade
Chapter of The Retired Officers Assoc., a
member and officer of the Order of
Daedalians, Military Order of World Wars
and the P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Assoc. He
was married in 1943 to the former Maida
Stickler of Miami and has four children, 8
grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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Asa A. Adair
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He returned to the States in August of 1944 after participating in the invasion "D" Day. He flew P-63's, P-51's, F-80's, T-33's, F-84's, T-38's, P-47's in numerous assignments during the following twenty years in in, Japan, U.S.A. and Europe before retiring after twenty-six years of Active Duty.
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John C. Anderson
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After P-47 transition he was assigned to the 406th Fighter Group, 512th Fighter Squadron. (E.T
.0.) He flew 56 missions through January, 1945 destroying supply routes, bridges, and railroads; he also flew close support missions with the ground forces, with attacks on tanks, artillery and enemy positions.
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W.B. 'Tex' Badger
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Eight and Ninth Air Force in WWII. B-l7's, P-51's and P-47's. Fifth Air Force in Korea, F80's and F86's. WWII and Korea, Flew 156 missions. Tactical units served in with the USAAF and USAF were: 305th BG , 368th Fighter Group, 4th Fighter Group, 49th Fighter Group, 12th Fighter Wing, 506th Fighter Wing.
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Robert T. (Bob) Bagby
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He trained in P47's at Cross City and Dale Mabry Fields, Florida and then joined the 341st FS Black Jack Squadron), 348th FG of the 5th AF in Brisbane, Australia in June 1943. Bob flew 78 combat missions in New Guinea (Port Moresby, Finchafen, Sador, Wakde and Biak) primarily as wingman to squadron CO's John Campbell and John Moore. Also privileged to fly wing to Neil Kirby on several occasions.
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Frank Baker
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After brief stops at Stone and Atcham, England he joined the 313th Fighter Squadron of the 50th Fighter Group in France. He flew 90 missions through V.E. Day. Most of the missions were close support attacks on various ground targets with a few B-26 escort missions thrown in. All of the missions took place in eastern France and southern Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters.
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John M. Balason
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To relieve the boredom, Balason went down on the deck and blew up a locomotive
he had observed at altitude. A few seconds after making his strafing pass he received a hit in his left wing tank and a fire started immediately in the cockpit. The paralyzing effect of the intense heat made climbing out of the cockpit impossible.
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Albert W. Barlow, Jr.
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He flew 69 escort and ground support missions. Destroyed one E/A (ME-I09). Was shot down on Sept. 8, 1944, and evaded enemy ground forces for 8 days. Was picked up by an American Recon. Unit behind the German lines. Was hospitalized until Feb. 1948, when he was medically retired with the rank of Capt. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and Purple Heart.
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William T. Beckler
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In July, 1944 Beckler exchanged his P-40 for a P-47N Thunderbolt. Missions in the Jug covered Northern Italy and Southern France. These included escorting medium bombers. The Bombers, based in Southern Italy, would be escorted to France by Thunderbolts based on Corsica. Shortly before target the Jugs would pull ahead of the bombers and bomb the enemy gun positions.
Beckler's activities while participation in three major campaigns earned him the DFC, two Air Medals and two Presidential citations.
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Herbert R. Benson
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After training in P-47 Thunderbolts at bases in North Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware, he was
assigned to the European Theatre of operations and joined the 48th Fighter Group
493rd Fighter Squadron at St. Trond, Belgium. After flying 44 combat missions, he was awarded the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf clusters.
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Marvin C. Bigelow
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Training in the Southeast Training Command with the class of 44C, he graduated and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant single engine pilot at Marianna, Florida with the class of
44D. After checking out in the P-40 at Marianna, he transitioned in the P-47 in the Northeast Defense Command and after gunnery at Dover, Delaware was shipped on the Queen Mary to England.
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