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Paul D. Jewell
PAUL D. JEWELL, born 22 September 1923 and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Carrick High
School and then attended Rose Polytechnic
Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana. There he
became a life member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. In October 1942 he enlisted in LaFayette, Indiana and attended the University
of Alabama, courtesy of Uncle Sam before
entering Flight Training in the Texas Air
Force. Jewell graduated from Aloe AAF at
Victoria, Texas, class of 44G. RTU was at
Seymour.Johnson AAF, Goldsboro, North
Carolina and gunnery at Millville, New Jersey. He was assigned to the 514th Squadron
of the 406th Fighter Group then stationed at
Munster, Germany. While flying with the
Squadron, only four days following the cessation of hostilities, Jewell had the questionable opportunity to use the skids of his Jug
thanks to a terminally ill main bearing.
Picked up by our British friends, he enjoyed
their hospitality for over a week including an
assigned Bat-Boy. Following a memorable
tour of duty at the R&R Center in Cannes,
France he separated in December 1946.
Recalled to active duty January 1948 was
assigned to the 95th Squadron of the 82nd
Fighter Group, Grenier AAF, Manchester,
New Hampshire, flying the P-51H. He separated February 1950 and was reacquainted
with the Jug, this time the P-47N, with the
Pennsylvania Air National Guard and
Reserve assignments at San Antonio, Texas,
Minneapolis, Minnesota and Ogden, Utah.
His total hours in the P-47 are in excess of
1000. His more than 20,000 total flying
hours were mainly accumulated as a Captain
with Capitol Air Lines. Jewell retired in
1968 after 26 years of Military Service,
eight of which were on active duty.
In 1947 he married his childhood sweetheart, Evelyn L. Cook of Pittsburgh, Pa., and just recently celebrated their 33rd Wedding
Anniversary. They have two children, Paula
and Jeff, three grandchildren and another
due in July 1980.
Jewell has resided in San Diego, California
since 1974 where he works as an Insurance
Broker and Financial Planner.
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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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