Dear Capt. Dan Jackson::<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following is a resume of my military and civilian career..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I entered the Army Air Corp Aviation Cadet Pilot Training\nProgram in the fall of 1941 and graduated in May of 1942 in the class of\n42-E. Upon graduation, I was assigned to\nColorado Springs, Colorado, where squadrons were being formed for a new method\nof intelligence gathering, i.e., aerial photograph by unarmed pursuit (fighter)\naircraft. Unarmed to discourage any\ntemptation to engage attaching aircraft, but, instead, to turn tail and return\nhome with the intelligence gathering photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We shipped out of San Francisco in the fall of 1942 for New\nCaledonia, where we received our aircraft off freighters and assembled\nthem. The pilots flew up to Guadalcanal\nand the ground personnel went by sea, arriving in January of 1943. I flew off Guadalcanal until the fall of\n1943, performing 50 missions, at which time I was rotated to the U.S. as we\nbegan receiving replacement pilots. Our\nmissions consisted of photographing enemy airfields, harbors and bivouac areas;\npre and post strike assessment photos; and entire island photos to produce\ncurrent maps. We lost four of the\noriginal 16 pilots and two more were rescued and returned to our unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first few months, the enemy bombed us almost every\nnight as a harassing action to keep us up. \nOne bomb landed in our bivouac area, killing one airman. We were also subject to large daytime attacks\nby up to 100 enemy air corps., plus occasional single plane strafing attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Upon returning to the U.S., I was assigned to Will Rogers\nField in Oklahoma City as the Colorado Springs function had been transferred\nthere. While there, I instructed new\npilots in P-38 photoreconnaissance technique for a few months and then was\nassigned to a new squadron being formed to go overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the spring of 1944, we traveled by sea from the east\ncoast to Calcutta, India. After\nreceiving our aircraft, we operated off Calcutta for a short time, then as the\nJapanese were pushed back, we moved to the west coast of Burma. Our targets were all the enemy installations\nin Burma, plus Bangkok, Siam, where we performed the same tasks as when in The\nSolomons. Again, I had completed 50\nmissions by the time the Japanese evacuated Burma and flew over to Kunming and\nChunking, China to visit the 14th<\/sup> Air Force Operations Section to\nplan moving our unit to China, as I was Squadron Commander by this time. However, the atomic bombs were dropped and we\nreturned to the U.S. where I was discharged in the spring of 1946.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I moved to Portland, Oregon early in 1948, joined the Oregon\nAir National Guard and was called up for a two and one-half year stint during\nthe Korean War. During the Korean War, I\nflew a desk as Base Adjutant at Hamilton\nAir Force Base and Base Executive Officer at Oxnard Air Force Base, both on the\nU.S. west coast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I was promoted to Colonel a couple of years before my\nretirement from the military in 1966. My\nmilitary decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with four oak leaf\nclusters, the Air Medal with six clusters, four Asiatic Pacific Battle Stars\nand various theatre and service ribbons. \nMy military career was a wonderful experience and I\u2019ll cherish it\nalways. My Guadalcanal unit still meets\nevery year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My civilian career was also very pleasant and somewhat\nsuccessful. When I came to Portland, I\nwent to work as a salesman for Crane Company, a national plumbing manufacturer\nand distributor. I worked there for nine\nyears, except for the Korean War absence. \nIn 1956, a friend any myself struck out on our own in a similar business\nand due to various circumstances, and events, I eventually became sole owner of\nthe business and continued to operate the company until 1988 when I sold the\nfirm to two employees and retired, completing 40 years in the wholesale\nplumbing business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I became a widower in 1998, and since then have become\nactive in a senior group that paddles dragon boats three days a week on the\nWillamette River, year round, and competes in races during the summer. I belong to a Portland to Seaside walking\nteam and to a walking group at my church. \nWhile I do not participate in the physical activities as much, I do continue\nto participate in these groups socially. \nI am 101 years old and am very fortunate that I enjoy excellent health\nand many activities, including tai chi classes at a local Senior Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did not intend to write a book, and hope this is not too\nboring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al Bailey<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Email to Daniel Jackson. 8 September 2018. Dear Capt. Dan Jackson:: Following is a resume of my military and civilian career.. I entered the Army Air Corp Aviation Cadet Pilot Training Program in the fall of 1941 and graduated in May of 1942 in the class of 42-E. Upon graduation, I was assigned to Colorado…<\/p>\n