Son of Ernest (1870-1949) and Charlotte (1876-1947) Kalberer. Retired from the U.S. Air Force March 31, 1963.
World War II military aviation histories report such facts as the organization and leadership (by Colonel Kalberer) of a flight of eight heavy bombers against the Italian fleet- with such heavy enemy losses inflicted that its surrender was the inevitable result. Kalberer led his group on the last heavy bombardment of the Japanese home islands on the day they surrendered. By that time he had flown 46 combat missions as a B-24 and B-29 pilot in the Middle and Far East.
Alfred F. Kalberer was born at Lafayette, Ind., in 1907. He had already learned to fly when he received an appointment as an air cadet in 1927. Commissioned a reserve second lieutenant the following year at Kelly Field, Texas, he was assigned to the 1st Pursuit Group, Selfridge Field, Mich.
In 1929 he resigned from active duty to make a 50,000 mile advertising tour of the United States, Mexico and Cuba for the General Tire and Rubber Co. He then became an airmail pilot for ther National Air Transport. While with NAT- later known as Eastern Division, United Airlines- he flew 8,700 accident-free hours.
On Dec.7, 1941 he was in Washington DC and returned to active duty as a first lieutenant. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps' Ferry Command and shortly thereafter was transferred to the Halpro Task Force; which was slated to attack Japan from China with B-24s. From Egypt the bomber force made the first raid on the Ploesti oil field in June 1942 with 13 B-24s. Ploesti was not attacked again until August 1943.
World War II military aviation histories report such facts as the organization and leadership (by Colonel Kalberer) of a flight of eight heavy bombers against the Italian fleet- with such heavy enemy losses inflicted that its surrender was the inevitable result. Kalberer led his group on the last heavy bombardment of the Japanese home islands on the day they surrendered. By that time he had flown 46 combat missions as a B-24 and B-29 pilot in the Middle and Far East.
Alfred F. Kalberer was born at Lafayette, Ind., in 1907. He had already learned to fly when he received an appointment as an air cadet in 1927. Commissioned a reserve second lieutenant the following year at Kelly Field, Texas, he was assigned to the 1st Pursuit Group, Selfridge Field, Mich.
In 1929 he resigned from active duty to make a 50,000 mile advertising tour of the United States, Mexico and Cuba for the General Tire and Rubber Co. He then became an airmail pilot for ther National Air Transport. While with NAT- later known as Eastern Division, United Airlines- he flew 8,700 accident-free hours.
On Dec.7, 1941 he was in Washington DC and returned to active duty as a first lieutenant. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps' Ferry Command and shortly thereafter was transferred to the Halpro Task Force; which was slated to attack Japan from China with B-24s. From Egypt the bomber force made the first raid on the Ploesti oil field in June 1942 with 13 B-24s. Ploesti was not attacked again until August 1943.
Son of Ernest (1870-1949) and Charlotte (1876-1947) Kalberer. Retired from the U.S. Air Force March 31, 1963.
World War II military aviation histories report such facts as the organization and leadership (by Colonel Kalberer) of a flight of eight heavy bombers against the Italian fleet- with such heavy enemy losses inflicted that its surrender was the inevitable result. Kalberer led his group on the last heavy bombardment of the Japanese home islands on the day they surrendered. By that time he had flown 46 combat missions as a B-24 and B-29 pilot in the Middle and Far East.
Alfred F. Kalberer was born at Lafayette, Ind., in 1907. He had already learned to fly when he received an appointment as an air cadet in 1927. Commissioned a reserve second lieutenant the following year at Kelly Field, Texas, he was assigned to the 1st Pursuit Group, Selfridge Field, Mich.
In 1929 he resigned from active duty to make a 50,000 mile advertising tour of the United States, Mexico and Cuba for the General Tire and Rubber Co. He then became an airmail pilot for ther National Air Transport. While with NAT- later known as Eastern Division, United Airlines- he flew 8,700 accident-free hours.
On Dec.7, 1941 he was in Washington DC and returned to active duty as a first lieutenant. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps' Ferry Command and shortly thereafter was transferred to the Halpro Task Force; which was slated to attack Japan from China with B-24s. From Egypt the bomber force made the first raid on the Ploesti oil field in June 1942 with 13 B-24s. Ploesti was not attacked again until August 1943.
World War II military aviation histories report such facts as the organization and leadership (by Colonel Kalberer) of a flight of eight heavy bombers against the Italian fleet- with such heavy enemy losses inflicted that its surrender was the inevitable result. Kalberer led his group on the last heavy bombardment of the Japanese home islands on the day they surrendered. By that time he had flown 46 combat missions as a B-24 and B-29 pilot in the Middle and Far East.
Alfred F. Kalberer was born at Lafayette, Ind., in 1907. He had already learned to fly when he received an appointment as an air cadet in 1927. Commissioned a reserve second lieutenant the following year at Kelly Field, Texas, he was assigned to the 1st Pursuit Group, Selfridge Field, Mich.
In 1929 he resigned from active duty to make a 50,000 mile advertising tour of the United States, Mexico and Cuba for the General Tire and Rubber Co. He then became an airmail pilot for ther National Air Transport. While with NAT- later known as Eastern Division, United Airlines- he flew 8,700 accident-free hours.
On Dec.7, 1941 he was in Washington DC and returned to active duty as a first lieutenant. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps' Ferry Command and shortly thereafter was transferred to the Halpro Task Force; which was slated to attack Japan from China with B-24s. From Egypt the bomber force made the first raid on the Ploesti oil field in June 1942 with 13 B-24s. Ploesti was not attacked again until August 1943.
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