Viewing page 125 of 137

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

1941, when he was assigned as executive officer of the Newfoundland Engineer Office on air base construction.  He served in Europe from 1942-46 commanding engineer aviation units and the Engineer School, ETO.  Returned to the US, he graduated from the last Air Class of the Command and General Staff School, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and was assigned as Deputy Engineer, Air Defense Command, Mitchel Fld., N. Y.  From 1947-49 he was a member of the USAF Mission to Peru, from which duty he came to the AWC.  Hobbies are camping, golf, tennis, riding, dramatics and flying.  He has received orders to Hq, ConAC, Mitchel AFB.  His wife, Frances (Fran), is from Highland Falls, N. Y., and his children are Pinky (16), and Pete (14), and Patsy Anne (13).

RADFORD C. WEST, LT. COLONEL, USMC, 05570

     "Doc" was born 22 Aug. 1913 at Oklahoma City, Okla.  Upon graduation from high school at Jacksonville, Fla in 1931, he enlisted in the U. S. Navy.  He served as a Hospital Corpsman in the Pacific Fleet until his entry into the Naval Academy in 1933.  He graduated from Annapolis in 1937 and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the US Marine Corps.  He attended Basic School in Philadelphia the following year, and was then assigned to duty at the Marine Barracks, Wash., D. C.  During his tour there he was selected on two occasions as a member of the Presidential Guard at Warm Springs, Ga.  In 1939 he saw duty as Battalion Adjutant in the Marine detachment at the New York World's Fair.  Following short tours of duty at the Navy Yard, New York, and Hq, Marine Corps, he was assigned to flight training at Pensacola, Fla., and received his wings in 1940.  He was assigned to VMB-2, 2nd Marine Aircraft Group at San Diego, Calif., and moved with this unit to the Marine Corps Air Station, Ewa, Oahu, T. H. in January 1941.  Following the Japanese attack on Dec 7th, he participated in daily search and fighter patrol missions in the Hawaii area, and in April 1942, moved south to Palmyra Island as Flight  Officer of VMF-211.  From April to November 1942 he served with this unit, becoming CO in August.  During this period his squadron participated in daily combat air patrols, search, and anti-submarine missions.  From Nov. 1942 to Feb. 1944 he served as Marine Corps Training Officer on the staff of the Chief, Naval Air Operational Training Command.  He was then assigned as Chief Flight Instructor in the night fighter training unit at Vero Beach Fla.  In April, 1944 he was ordered to England for duty with the RAF, in connection with night fighter tactics.  He attended the RAF night fighter schools at Grantham and Cranfield, as well as observing with active night fighter squadrons during the period of the Normandy invasion.  In August 1944 he was assigned as CO of VMF(N) 531, at Cherry Point, N. C.  In Nov. 1944 he was ordered overseas to MCAS, Eva, where he served for a short period as Exec. O. of Marine Air Group 44.  In January 1845 he was assigned as Night Operation Officer on the staff of the CG, Air Defense Command and Fighter Command for the Okinawa invasion.  He landed on Okinawa and acted as Operations Officer for Yontan Airfield during the first two weeks of fighter operations. With the arrival of the reach eche-

                   90