UniformSixInches.jpg - 46906 Bytes

Jim Kelly - Fighter Pilot

Two-Engine (Code 1056)

 
PlaneStearmanPT17Thumb.jpg - 27452 Bytes
Stearman		 PlaneBT-13Thumb.jpg - 20183 Bytes
BT-13		 at6FullThumb.jpg - 21395 Bytes
AT-6

WWII Training Planes

Jim graduated from Williams Field Army Air Forces Pilot School, Class 44-E, in May 23, 1944 and was commissioned as a 2nd LT. He trained in Stearman's, BT-13's, and AT-6's. He was qualified in both single engine P-39 fighters and P-38 twin engine fighters. The P-38 Lightning was the back bone of the fighter fleet in the Pacific. He also flew B-26's.

The night before his P-38 squadron was scheduled to ship out in the summer of 1945, everyone headed for the mountains for a night of partying. They built a huge bon fire, which coincidentally contained poison oak leaves. Jim has always been extremely sensitive to both poison ivy and poison oak, and the smoke from this fire infected his entire body. He went to the hospital, and his squadron went to war.

By the time he recovered the war was winding down. He was flying the medium range B-26 bomber to pull targets for arial gunnery practice when he saw an announcement looking for football players. Football beat fighting a war. He soon found himself playing football for the Fourth Air Force under the coaching direction of the same John Baker who kicked the winning field goal at the famous USC-Notre Dame game of 1931.

Index | Previous | Next