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Benning, Ga., and served one year in the tanks there, then he served a year at Fort MacPherson, Ga., in the 22nd Inf. From then he went to West Point in 1934 and graduated in 1938. From West Point he went to the Flying School and graduated from Kelly Field in August 1939. After graduation from Kelly he went back to Randolph Field as a basic flying instructor. In August 1940 he was sent to Hernet, California as Asst. Supervisor of a Ryan Primary Flying School. In 1941 he became the Supervisor there. In March 1942 he commanded a flight of AT-6 airplanes which went to Chile. He returned from Chile in June and went to Marana, Arizona as the Director of Flying at a basic flying school. In 1943 he was sent to Natal, Brazil as the base commander of the ATC base there. In the spring of 1944, he returned to the 4th AF and received fighter training in P-38s. In August 1944 he went to the Southwest Pacific as a fighter group commander but ended up as Asst. A-3 of the 13th AF. In October 1944 he organized the 13th Rescue Group under the 13th AF and commanded it until September 1945 when he returned to the ZI. During this tour he flew 306 combat hours on 45 combat missions. Upon return to the U. S. he became Chief of the Rescue Section of the Requirements Division in the Air Staff. In the summer of 1946 he organized and commanded the Air Rescue Service. In January 1947 he went to A-5 of the Air Staff which was later reorganized as Plans and Operations Directorate. From there he reported to the AWC. His proposed assignment in the Joint Strategic Plans Group of the Joint Staff, Washington, D. C. Wally's hobbies are golf and woodworking. His wife, Betty, is from San Antonio, Texas. His children are Suzanna (8), Dianna (6), Brian (3), and Jeffrey (2 mos).

ROBERT D. GAPEN, COLONEL, USAF, 1210A

"Bob" was born Nov. 14, 1912 and calls Monroe, Wis. his home. He attended the Univ. of Wisconsin for a year before entering the military academy, from which he graduated in 1936. He transferred from the Field Artillery into the Air Corps upon receiving his wings at Kelly Field in 1937. His first tactical assignment was to an attack sqdn. in the Canal Zone, and later to the command of a fighter sqdn. there. In 1940, he became a Sqdn. Opns Officer in the 3rd Bomb Gp. In 1941, he became a Sqdn. Cmdr. in the 46th Bomb Group (1) and in 1942 was given command of this group, training replacement crews and new units. In the middle of 1944, he was sent to CBI as Deputy, U. S. Air Planner in Southeast Asia Command. Later that year he became Deputy Cmdr. of the 7th Bomb Gp. in India. In Jan. 1945, he was given operational control of six separate fighter sqdns. in Southern Burma. Upon the withdrawal of U. S. forces from Burma, he was assigned as Asst. Opns. Officer in Hq, AAF, China Theater. After the war, he was assigned to Hq. 15th AF and became CO, Grenier Fld. In late 1946 he was assigned to Strategic Plans Branch, Plans and Opns. Div., War Dept., and in Jan. 1948 was assigned to the Air Policy Branch of Plans and Opns. Div., Hq., USAF, from which duty he reported to AWC. His proposed assignment is DCS/O, Alaskan Air Command. Hobbies are fishing, hunting, and woodworking. His wife, Mary Lee, is an Army Brat. Children are Dick (age 10), and Sue (age 3).
 
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