Lt. Col. Robert M. Young 2014

Born 1913 in Des Moines, Robert Young entered a world where aviation was becoming a global force for change. He moved to Forest Grove at the age of 12, and he began flying lessons at 19 utilizing a scholarship from his aunt. He studied at the Oregon Institute of Technology, and flew with instructors such as Tex Rankin, earning his license in 1933. He repaid his aunt by flying her to Kansas on his first cross country flight! Young also participated in the 1937 OPA Air Tour, which took a fleet of aircraft to cities around Oregon demonstrating the reliability of modern airplanes. In 1941, Young attempted to join the US Army Air Corps, but he was rejected due to his age and because he had a family. Undeterred, he met with a recruiter for the Royal Canadian Air Force and signed up. Sent to Bombing & Gunnery School, he flew the Fairey Battle to train bombardiers and gunners. Then, after Pearl Harbor, the US Army decided that it did need him and offered him a commission. Young took multi-engine training before being sent to India in 1943, to fly C-46s and C-47s over the Himalayas. He flew 142 missions across “the Hump” in 18 months and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. After the war, Young served in the USAF Reserve until his retirement in 1972 as a Lt. Colonel, while continuing to fly as a sport pilot. He moved to Midway in 1975 and became the Fire Chief after helping the community purchase a fire engine. He served in that capacity for 20 years. Robert M. Young passed away in Sisters, Oregon in 2000 after a lifetime of service to community and country.

Visit the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum:
https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/museum-hours

Видео Lt. Col. Robert M. Young 2014 канала Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum