Lt. Col Ed Saylor was born on March 15, 1920, in Brusett,
Montana. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on December 7,
1939, and was trained in aircraft maintenance and as a flight
engineer.
The then Sgt Saylor was serving as a B-25 Mitchell
flight engineer with the 34th Bomb Squadron of the 17th Bomb
Group when he was selected for the Doolittle Mission in
February 1942. He was the flight engineer aboard the 15th B-25
to take off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) on
April 18, 1942, and after bombing its assigned targets in
Kobe, Japan, the crew ditched their aircraft in the water off
the coast of China.
After returning to the United States, Sgt Saylor served
as a Line Chief in the U.S. and then deployed to England
before accepting a commission as a 2d Lt in the Army Air
Forces on March 4, 1945. Lt Saylor served as an Aircraft
Maintenance Officer until leaving active duty on March 29,
1946, serving in the Air Force Reserve until returning to
active duty beginning October 25, 1947.
His next assignment was as an Aircraft Maintenance
Officer with the 140th Air Force Base Unit and the 2470th Air
Force Reserve Training Center at Sioux City, Iowa, from
October 1947 to June 1949, followed by service as an Aircraft
Maintenance Officer with the 325th Fighter Wing and the 318th
Fighter Squadron at Moses Lake AFB and then at McChord AFB,
Washington, from July 1949 to June 1952.
Capt Saylor next served as Assistant Base Maintenance
Officer with the 86th Air Base Squadron and the 529th Material
Squadron at Paine AFB, Washington, from July 1952 to October
1953, and then as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer with the
59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Goose AFB in
Newfoundland, Canada, from October 1953 to July 1955.
His next assignment was as an Aircraft Maintenance
Officer with the 530th Air Defense Group, the 84th Fighter
Group, and then the 84th Material Squadron at Geiger Field,
Washington, from July 1955 to October 1958.
Maj Saylor served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer
with the 25th Air Division at McChord AFB from October 1958 to
December 1961, followed by service as an Exchange Officer with
the British Royal Air Force at RAF Coltishall, England, where
he served as a Senior Technical Officer with the Air Fighting
Development Squadron from December 1961 to January 1964.
Lt Col Saylor next served as Chief of Maintenance of the
337th Fighter Group and 337th Consolidated Aircraft
Maintenance Squadron with Air Defense Command at Portland
International Airport, Oregon, from January 1964 to March
1966, and then as Chief of Maintenance of the 328th Fighter
Wing at Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri, from March 1966 until
his retirement from the Air Force on October 1, 1967.
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The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal
awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed
forces who distinguishes himself or herself in combat in support of
operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating
in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918."
All 80 of the
Doolittle Raiders received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the
mission.
Saylor's
certificate reads:
"For extraordinary achievement while participating in a highly
destructive raid on the Japanese mainland on April 18, 1942. Sergeant
Saylor volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances
of survival were extremely remote, and executed his part in it with
great skill and daring. This achievement reflects high credit on
Sergeant Saylor and the military service."
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