ROBERT G. COONEY, born March 29, 1920 in St. Louis, Mo. Parents moved to Texas where I graduated from high school in Texarkana, Texas. I enlisted and was called to active duty 22 Feb. 1943 to start training as an aviation cadet.

Was classified for pilot training in Nashville, Tenn. and continued in the pilot training program in the Eastern Flying Training Command. Graduated at Napier Field in Dothan, Ala. in class of 44-E flying the old T-6.

After 10 hours in the old P-40 I was assigned to fighter aircraft training in the (choice of my dreams) P-47 at Seymour-Johnson Field in Goldsboro, N.C. Building time there in the 'Jug' with every type of training and then on to Bluethenthal Field at Wilmington, S.C. for very long training missions.

With the advent of the new P-47 N, the last model built and especially for very long range missions in the Pacific.

On 15 Oct. 1944 I was assigned to the 1st Ftr. Sqdn. of the 413th Ftr. Gp. of the 301 Ftr. Wing when it was activated on that date at the Army Air Base, Seymour-Johnson Field. After several more months of extensive training the 413th Ftr. GP- was ordered on 7 April 1945 to Ft. Lawton, Seattle, Wash. On our departure from the west coast we made stops at Honolulu, Ford Island, Guam, Eniwetok, Tinian and then on to Ie Shima, just off the coast of Okinawa.

From here we continued our fighter missions by carrying the war to the Japan and China mainlands. We were the first to use napalm against the Japanese and the first to go on the longest fighter flight deep in to Honshu. The new 'Jug' proved to be a tough long range fighter and a 'cut' above any other fighter in the Pacific.

Though our stay in the Pacific was short-lived, we feel our efforts and record was of major importance in bringing about the rapid conclusion of the Japanese war. The last official date given us was 15 Aug. 1945. Since I didn't get 'clobbered' nor became an ace I had to stick around to get enough points before returning to the States. In May 1946 I returned to Ft. Sam for discharge and then on to Texarkana.

I continued my flying career in the reserves and as a flight instructor for the Air Force in Greenville, Miss. and Marianna, Fla. Later as a rotor wing instructor for the Army at Ft. Wolters, Texas until 1973. Later that year I departed for Iran with Bell Helicopter Inti. This assignment I turned out to be worse than living in a two-man tent on Ie Shima in the rain, so I returned to the States and then on to Ft. Rucker, Ala.

I am presently employed as a Civil Service Evaluation Pilot. I married my present wife in 1960, to Lavonne Bennett of Florida and we have two beautiful girls in their late teens and we are living happily ever after.