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 First Lieutenant
Donald
Joseph Dixon, (1919-2010) was born in
Polo, Missouri
to Joe Dixon and Marguerite Bacon Dixon. Donald lived in Polo, Missouri
all his life. He graduated from xxxxxx high school in 1937 and enlisted
in the Army shortly after the war began. Don was accepted to, and
attended Cadet Pilot training at Marfa, Texas and graduated
[see
graduation
announcement] & [invitation] from flight school on August 30, 1943 [see
the orders] as part of class 43-H along with several other members
of the Second Emergency Rescue Squadron. Several members of the Second
Emergency also graduated from this class: Harry
Remington, Hugh Pennington, Bill Holbrook,
Larry Boorman, John Denison, John Dickinson, Denzil Kathman,
Roy Nelson, Frank Rauschkolb,
Bob Rohlfing, and Jim Scott. While in flight
training Don flew such aircraft as the PT-22, BT-13, AT-17, AT-7, and
C-60A. Starting on the 10 September 1943, after completion of flight
training with the Army Air Corps, Don went on to earn the gold wings of
a Naval Aviator, attending the 10 week
PBY Catalina
transition in Pensacola, Florida. On 24 March 1944 Don was named a
Principal Pilot on the OA-10A Catalina. [see
the orders] In late April 1944, Don set out for the war in the
Pacific
in aircraft 44-33879 and the rest of his crew: Second Lieutenant James F.
Scott (Pilot), Second Lieutenant Richard W. Deane (Navigator), Staff
Sergeant Michael Spisak (Engineer), Staff Sergeant John Crawford (Radar
Opr), and Corporal Clyde Haferkamp (Radio Opr.) They left with ten (10)
other Catalinas makin the marathon flight from California to New Guinea. His
first recorded rescue mission with the Squadron was on
02 September 1944.
Don was promoted to First Lieutenant on 19 October 1944 [see
the orders] along with Frank Rauschkolb, Hugh
Pennington, James Scott, Bob Rohlfing, and John
Dickinson.
After the war Don lived a quiet life in Polo, Missouri
doing odd jobs. He passed away on 19 September 2010 in Polo. He was a member
of American Legion Post 557 in Polo. Donald was preceded in death by his
parents. He is survivied by a first cousin, Nadean Clark of Kansas City,
Missouri. Donald was an only child and never married or had children.
See his
Separation papers |
Aviation Cadet
Discharge |
Enlisted Record |
Honorable Discharge |
See photos of Don during the
war: [photo 1]
[photo 2] [photo
3] [photo 4]
[photo 5] [photo
6]
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