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p51 Pilots Biographies, Last Name Starting With "M"
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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Donn L. Madden
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At Luke he flew
P-40's, then to Harding
Field, Louisiana for P-47's. (his first Belly-In
was there - wheels up and locked, head in
same position.) He then went to England and
joined the 23rd Fighter Squadron, 36th
Fighter Group.
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Bert Wilder Marshall, Jr
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WWII FIGHTER ACE!
Prior to WWII, Bert Marshall was the only 3 time All State Quarterback in Texas High School history and an Honorable Mention All America tailback at Vanderbilt University.
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Thomas C. Marsters
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First assignment after P-47 training
was gunnery instructor at Millville AAB,
New Jersey. Assigned to 525th Squadron,
86th Fighter Bomber Group in February
1945. Main mission was ground support and
targets were trains, ammo dumps, tanks,
artillery, airfields and most anything that
moved. He destroyed 13 enemy aircraft on
the ground. Spent one year in the Army of
Occupation at Schweinfurt, Germany.
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Merle F. Mason
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The Group shipped to England in
February, 1944. During a year's combat
tour in the ETO Mason flew 110 combat
missions, some escort, but mostly close support, dive bombing, skip bombing and strafing missions in support of the drive from the
Normandy Beaches to Germany.
During the Battle of the Bulge, Capt.
Mason lost three wingmen to ground fire and
was himself wounded when his canopy was
shattered by anti aircraft guns.
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Thomas K. McCaffrey
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Went on to
Baton Rouge, La. for indoctrination in the
P-47, from there to Bruning, Neb. for R.T.U.
returning to Baton Rouge for overseas
replacement in Aug. 1944. After some more
training in England, was assigned to the
412th Ftr. Sqdn. 373rd Grp. in France
where he flew 57 missions doing close support, dive bombing, strafing trains, airfields,
convoys, and troop movements. Credited
with 2 E/A in air. Also had the honor of
flying with the 1st American Group to fly
from German soil.
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Lawrence E. McCarthy
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He flew 97 missions in P-47s and
P-51s during his 18 months in England and
earned the Silver Star, 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 6 Air Medals. He destroyed
4 1/2 aircraft in the air and 6 on the ground.
McCarthy remained in the Air Force after
the war. He started flying jets in 1947 with
the Fourth Fighter Group and flew as the slot
man and individualist with Vermont Garrison, Sandy Hesse, and Beriger Anderson on
the USAF's first official four ship Jet Aerobatic Team.
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Jill Sutton McCormick
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World War II found Professor McCormick
in the experimental Cadets' school, WASP
(Women Airforce Service Pilots). She was
accepted into the WASP with 100 hours of
cross-country flying. Up until this time, flying cadets had all been men.
WASP training was identical to the men
cadet's school except that the women had no
combat training. They were to take over
domestic flying duties for the men so that
more male cadets could be sent overseas for
combat duty.
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Charles E. McCreary
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During the course of
100 + missions, survived the Purple Heart
with a few Clusters and was awarded the Air
Medal with Clusters, the DFC w /Cluster and
the Silver Star. During tour thru Italy, Corsica, and back to Italy was able to check-out in
B-25 and Hand Price's Spitfire. Still feel the
JUG was the most rugged and dependable
Fighter ever built.
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Harry D. Milligan
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Arriving in Great Britain in September of
1943, he was assigned to the 351st Fighter
Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group. After completion of tour #1 in P-47 Thunderbolts, and
a 30 day leave in the states, he returned to the
ETO for a second tour in P-51 Mustangs.
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Leslie David Minchew
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WWII FIGHTER ACE!
Leslie (Les) Minchew joined USA Reserves while attending University of Florida in 1942. In summer of 1942 he attended USAAF Flight Training and graduated as a Second Lieutenant in November 1942, immediately transferred to 50th FG. When the 50th FG became the core for the 355th FG Minchew was assigned to 354FS and shipped to Steeple Morden England in July 1943 where he remained till the end of the war in Europe.
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