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p51 Pilots Biographies, Last Name Starting With "G"
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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Charles T. Gagel
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Typically routine for the Air Corps, after
all that training in the P-47 , his first combat
mission was flown in the P-51 out of New
Guinea. He was assigned to the 360th Service
Group, 5th Air Force and then assigned to
the 58th Fighter Group, 311th Fighter
Squadron, 5th Air Force where he remained
in the P-47 until returning to the States.
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Robert C. Garland
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In March of 1945, the war was centered in
the mountains north of Manilla and Garland
flew a total of 52 ground support missions
during that campaign. It was during this
period that the 348th received a Presidential
Citation for dropping more ton age of bombs
in one 30 day period than any other single
group up to that time including the heavy
bomb groups in the Pacific. For his personal
efforts Garland was awarded the Air Medal
with 4 Battle Stars.
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Charles E. Gilbert II
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FIGHTER AIRCRAFT FLOWN: include
Hurricane, P-38, P-39, P-47, razorback,
bubble and P-47 N, P-51H, F-84, F-94A and
C, F-89 D and J. Total Hours: 3500. Enemy
Aircraft Shot down: Two ME 109's.
Citations: Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, One Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal,
Eight Oak Leaf Cluster, Presidential Unit
Citation, MTO Ribbon, five Battle Stars. As
Commanding Officer of the 346th Fighter
Squadron, I submitted the name of Lt. Raymond Knight, posthumously, for the Congressional Medal of Honor. It was awarded to
his widow.
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J. Alfred Gill
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Was
assigned to Westover Air Base, Mass. for
training in P-47, then assigned to the 362
Fighter Group, 379th Squadron for OTU.
From here the group was transferred to
Wormingsford England in Oct. 1943, 8th
Air Force. Then in March 1944 assigned to
the 9th Air Force. Left the 362nd Group
August 1944 and assigned to the 100th
Fighter Wing in France. While overseas met
and married present wife Joan Arnold Gill,
from the Royal Air Force in Oct. 1944.
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Gordon Marion Graham
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WWII FIGHTER ACE!
Following graduation from University of California - Berkley, with BS Petroleum Engineering in 1940, he joined Army Reserves and commissioned a Second Lieutenant when he completed pilot training at Craig Field, Alabama in August, 1942. He served in Training Command and was promoted to Major before shipping out to ETO in late, July 1944. Graham’s logbook had more than 2700 hours of single engine time.
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Fred C. Gray
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Memories? D-Day; led 78th "A" Gp. on
1st and last of 7 missions back of Normandy.
Got my one and only FW-190 on last. (8 hrs.
25 min. total). Dec. 1948, bailed out at night
from an F-51 near Des Moines, under 200ft., swung once and hit hard!
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Douglas C. Griggs
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Griggs was assigned to the 50th Fighter
Group, 81st Fighter Squadron, 9th Air
Force, Nancy, France. He flew escort and
mostly ground support missions for the 3rd
and 7th Armies. He is credited with 66
missions, 8 Air Medals, Commendation Ribbon, E.T.0. ribbon with two Battle Stars and
one FW 190 in aerial combat.
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Kenneth J. Gustafson
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After Pearl Harbor, returned to Minnesota
and enlisted in Mar. 42 and joined class of
43H Cadets. Graduated at Marianna, Florida
took P-47 training at Venice, Florida and
shipped to North Africa. Joined the 57th
Fighter Group, 65th Fighter Squadron and
flew 125 missions over Italy and Southern
France, mostly dive bombing and strafing,
and some medium bomber escort.
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