While researching something totally unrelated I ran across the story of John C Morgan (Sgt./ Lt. Col).
OK, so the ranks are a tale in itself...
"Born August 24, 1914, in Vernon, Texas,...He worked in the Fiji Islands as a foreman on a pineapple plantation until 1938, when he returned to enlist as an aviation cadet in the U.S. Army Air Corps. However, because of his poor education record, he was refused enlistment. Working at an oil-drilling site for Texaco, Morgan suffered a broken neck in an industrial accident, and as a result was later classified 4-F by the Selective Service System.
In August, 1941, Morgan joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, and after completion of flight training in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and RAF Church Lawford, England, was posted as a Sergeant Pilot with RAF Bomber Command. On March 23, 1943, he was transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces as a Flight Officer and assigned to the 92nd Bomb Group's 326th Bomb Squadron, RAF Alconbury, England.
After the war, Morgan returned to work for Texaco in California selling aviation fuel. Called back to active duty when the Korean War broke out, he took a leave of absence from Texaco (1950–53) and applied for combat duty. The Air Force denied his request but allowed him to fly cargo planes in the United States for two years. He completed his final year on active duty in the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. He retired from the Air Force, a lieutenant colonel."
Why the title? Well, after transfer to the USAAF he flew 25 1/2 missions but one was particularly significant. Rather than read the wiki page, it's more fun to watch this short official (film) video:
https://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.26506
The Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Morgan
Also, a story from Larry Milbury's Canav Books blog that adds some 'colour' and background: https://canavbooks.wordpress.com/201...ruary-26-1942/
I hope you enjoy this trip down the internet "rabbit hole" as much as I did
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