Allen E. Saunders of Forman, died Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at the Oakes Community Hospital. He was 95 years old.
Al was born in Cayuga, North Dakota on September 4, 1913 to Allen and Laura Belle (Herring) Saunders. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1934 and was stationed in Long Beach, California. He started flying at Long Beach Airport with a civilian instructor in 1935. In 1938 he was honorably discharged from the Navy and went to work in the oil fields at Signal Hill. He remained in California, married Delores Paczkowski on October 12, 1940 and two daughters were born.
In 1942 he became a flight instructor for the U.S. Army. After completing Civilian Pilot Training Instructor School in Tucson, Arizona and Army Instructor School at Kelly Field, Texas he was a civilian flight instructor for two years at Sweetwater, Texas. He then entered active duty and was assigned to the Air Transport Command at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. Following that he went to Randolph Field for instrument training, Ellington Field for twin engine training and was commissioned a Flight Officer. He then ferried planes, attended 4-engine school at Homestead, Florida and was checked out in B-24's and C-54's.
In January 1945, Al was transferred to the 1330th AAFBO in Jorhat, India. His new home base was a four-engine air base set in the jungle at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains. His job was to fly the Hump route, a corridor about 500 miles long over the Himalaya Mountains leading into western China. His orders were to fly 24 hours a day regardless of weather conditions. In one week that January 38 planes were lost. During this duty Al made 49 trips over the Hump (in his own words "some of those flights were quite hairy") in C-87 and C-109 versions of the Liberator B-24. In February 1946 he was honorably discharged and returned to his wife and two daughters in Long Beach, California.
After his military discharge he returned to North Dakota, had another daughter, and spent about 35 years as a retail oil distributor in Forman. For 10 years he served as mayor and, for 2 years was president of the Northwest Oil Jobbers Association. In 1978 he retired and spent many years traveling the U.S., Mexico and Canada in his R.V. He will be remembered for his active life style of hunting, fishing, golfing, dancing, walking and swimming.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Delores, and his siblings, Evelyn (Eve) Hill, Milton, Delia (Dee) Vrosh, John, Bernice (Bee) Williams, Charles (Chic), Duane (Mickey), Laura Belle (Lolly) Bitz, and Lorraine Cole.
He is survived by his brother, Chester (Chet) Saunders of Whidbey Island, Washington, his daughters, Sharon (Clark) Carlen of Carlsbad, California, Colleen Barden of New Hope, Minnesota, and Carole (John) Call of Edmond, Oklahoma, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and special friend Dolores Henninger.
The funeral mass will be held at 10:30 AM Monday, October 20, 2008 at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Forman, North Dakota. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church on Monday. Burial will be at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery near Forman.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (www.komen.org) or the Sargent County Museum.
Allen E. Saunders of Forman, died Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at the Oakes Community Hospital. He was 95 years old.
Al was born in Cayuga, North Dakota on September 4, 1913 to Allen and Laura Belle (Herring) Saunders. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1934 and was stationed in Long Beach, California. He started flying at Long Beach Airport with a civilian instructor in 1935. In 1938 he was honorably discharged from the Navy and went to work in the oil fields at Signal Hill. He remained in California, married Delores Paczkowski on October 12, 1940 and two daughters were born.
In 1942 he became a flight instructor for the U.S. Army. After completing Civilian Pilot Training Instructor School in Tucson, Arizona and Army Instructor School at Kelly Field, Texas he was a civilian flight instructor for two years at Sweetwater, Texas. He then entered active duty and was assigned to the Air Transport Command at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. Following that he went to Randolph Field for instrument training, Ellington Field for twin engine training and was commissioned a Flight Officer. He then ferried planes, attended 4-engine school at Homestead, Florida and was checked out in B-24's and C-54's.
In January 1945, Al was transferred to the 1330th AAFBO in Jorhat, India. His new home base was a four-engine air base set in the jungle at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains. His job was to fly the Hump route, a corridor about 500 miles long over the Himalaya Mountains leading into western China. His orders were to fly 24 hours a day regardless of weather conditions. In one week that January 38 planes were lost. During this duty Al made 49 trips over the Hump (in his own words "some of those flights were quite hairy") in C-87 and C-109 versions of the Liberator B-24. In February 1946 he was honorably discharged and returned to his wife and two daughters in Long Beach, California.
After his military discharge he returned to North Dakota, had another daughter, and spent about 35 years as a retail oil distributor in Forman. For 10 years he served as mayor and, for 2 years was president of the Northwest Oil Jobbers Association. In 1978 he retired and spent many years traveling the U.S., Mexico and Canada in his R.V. He will be remembered for his active life style of hunting, fishing, golfing, dancing, walking and swimming.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Delores, and his siblings, Evelyn (Eve) Hill, Milton, Delia (Dee) Vrosh, John, Bernice (Bee) Williams, Charles (Chic), Duane (Mickey), Laura Belle (Lolly) Bitz, and Lorraine Cole.
He is survived by his brother, Chester (Chet) Saunders of Whidbey Island, Washington, his daughters, Sharon (Clark) Carlen of Carlsbad, California, Colleen Barden of New Hope, Minnesota, and Carole (John) Call of Edmond, Oklahoma, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and special friend Dolores Henninger.
The funeral mass will be held at 10:30 AM Monday, October 20, 2008 at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Forman, North Dakota. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church on Monday. Burial will be at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery near Forman.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (www.komen.org) or the Sargent County Museum.
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