The Men of the 13th TAS

Toad

       Born to fly props, Toad started his flying career when he "borrowed" a Curtiss Jenny from a Barnstorming Aerial Circus that was touring Kansas. By the time he got there he'd nearly killed himself six times and felt highly qualified to instruct.As storm clouds gathered over Europe, he roamed the Southwest looking for a flight instructing job. In late 1940, he landed at Hanger Six in Uvalde, Texas. Due to his spectacular arrival airshow, he was hired on the spot to instruct in the Fairchild PT-19. Toad immediately swapped the Jenny for a case of good Scotch and two nights with a pretty senorita and went to work.
        December 8th of 1941 found him in line at the Army Recruiting office. Immediately accepted as an Aviation Cadet, his training requirements were waived and he started in Advanced Flight Training, graduating and getting an assignment to a P-39 outfit headed to the Pacific. New Guinea was his first campaign and he island hopped his way to the Japanese Home Islands with his squadron. Squadron re-equipment allowed Toad to fly the P-39, the P-38 and the P-51 while sneaking a few rides in some Navy equipment. This usually occurred when totally lost "Nasal Aviators" landed at an Army field, lost at poker and drowned their sorrows in Jungle Juice. As they slept it off, Toad would once again "borrow" their aircraft for a joyride.
        A firm believer in W.C. Fields axiom that you should "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break", he abandoned his first love, stall fighting, for the Execution Style known as "Boom and Zoom".
        After the war, Toad was unable to hold a "normal" job and bummed around the world flying for various legal and illegal operations. He's still out there somewhere....so CHECK SIX!