Ed Davidson
Born on July 31, 1923 at Bovina Center, located in the Catskill Region of New York State.
Spent the first four grades in school in one room, then moved to the other room for grades five through eight.
Immediately after graduating from high school at Delaware Academy, Delhi, NY in June 1941 I started Aviation Mechanic Ground School at Elmira, NY. Spent all my savings ($75.00) on flying lessons there. By working at the airport on weekends I was able to log twenty hours of flight time before April 1942.
Enlisted April 4th, 1942 in New York City for the Aviation Cadet program. Preflight training at Maxwell Field, AL; Primary Flight Training at Decatur, AL (PT-17); Basic at Walnut Ridge, AR (BT-13); and twin engine Advanced at George Field, IL (AT-9) where I was commissioned May 28,1943. B-17 training at Columbus, OH, Ephrata, WA and Spokane, WA
Crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary and arrived at the 96th Bomb Group near the end of November 1943. Shot down on Jan 5th, 1944 over Bordeaux, France on our seventh mission and ditched the burning airplane in the Bay of Biscay. Lost half of my crew that day.
Spent January 1944 until May 13, 1945 at Stalag Luft 1. Returned to Allied Military Control through Camp Lucky Strike and back to USA on June 21, 1945. Processed at Atlantic City, NJ in August and separated from Active duty in January 1946 and started studying mechanical engineering at Cornell University while flying with Air Corps Reserve at Rome, NY. Transferred to Parks College in September 1948 and graduated March 1951 and recalled to active duty with my Air Force Reserve unit. Flew C-46 and C-119 aircraft in Korea until the armistice was signed in Oct 1953.
Hired by American Airlines in March 1955, based in New York. In 1966 AAL obtained a Military contract for flying military supplies to Viet Nam. I volunteered for the project and I flew into Danang, Cameron Bay and Saigon during late 1966 and early 1967. In May 1973 I moved to San Diego where I retired from line flying July 31,1983. Had the great good fortune to work as a consultant with American Airlines as a simulator instructor in Dallas/Ft Worth, TX working with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve crews flying the KC-135E tanker aircraft from September 1983 until March 2003.
Since then I have been retired in San Diego with Maria, the mother of our three sons.