Lt. Ernest P. Wakehouse 2013

Born in Mapleton, Iowa, Ernest “Ernie” Wakehouse always seemed to be in motion. After graduation from high school, he headed for California, so he hitchhiked west; ending up working construction jobs in Oregon. In 1943 he took the test to become an Army aviation cadet and was accepted into flight training and eventually became a fighter pilot, flying the P-51 Mustang. But the World War II ended and he left the Army to open an auto repair business. But he still wanted to fly Mustangs, so he joined the Oregon Air National Guard’s 123rd Fighter Squadron in 1949. With the start of the Korean War in 1950, Wakehouse was recalled to active duty and found himself flying ground attack missions with the 39th FBS. He racked up an impressive 100 missions in less than 90 days, flying low-level strikes throughout North Korea. He returned to the Air Guard and learned to fly jets, but with a yearning to be back in business, he left the Guard in 1952. He continued to fly while growing his auto dealership business. In 1968, Wakehouse bought a Beechcraft Debonair and became a member of the Columbia Aviation Association. He also took the opportunity to co-pilot a Learjet on charter flights that took him all over the country and in 1975 started his own charter business, but it was short-lived and he went back to flying for fun. He traded in his Debonair and upgraded to a Beech Bonanza in 1985. Although he retired in 1986, Wakehouse remained active in aviation and continued flying until age 89, when he sold his Bonanza after 26 years of service. Ernest Wakehouse amassed over 6000 flying hours, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters and numerous other awards. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

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