Davis, Donald O. (? - ?)

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9885#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Donald Davis enlisted for service 1942 to serve as a cadet in World War II with the Army Air Corps as a pilot. The majority of his time was spent stateside, flying trainers and fighter aircraft. Three days prior to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Davis had arrived in Spain to assist in pilot training to fight against Japanese forces. Davis was discharged in October 1945 after two and a half years of service. Davis attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a journalism degree. He worked various jobs within the water conditioning business until retirement. He married later in life.

Transcript Summary: Donald Davis discussed his service as a test pilot during World War II with the Army Air Corps. Davis enlisted into service six months prior to his 18th birthday to avoid imminent infantry duty if drafted. Davis participated in the College Training Detachment (CTD) in Utah. This program is where Davis was exposed to flight testing, and went to Tulare, California for pilot training in a Boeing Stearman bi-wing airplane. While in training, Davis earned the rank of flight officer and wore a blue bar. Throughout the interview, Davis detailed the differences between the aircraft he flew during his service, which included: the Stearman, AT-6, BT-13, P-39, P-40 and P-51. Davis was shipped overseas three days prior to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, which meant he avoided seeing any combat - and was very relieved of that fact. After the war, he had trouble finding an aviation job, so Davis received a degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota before going into the water conditioning business. He concluded the interview by stating his favorite plane to fly was the AT-6.

Interview by John Carter