World War II Honoree

Peter Wright, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Abington, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

HE JOINED THE NAVY IN 1940. AFTER GRADUATING FROM PENSACOLA NAVAL FLIGHT SCHOOL HE WAS A DIVE-BOMBER PILOT ON THE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS USS RANGER, USS WASP AND USS YORKTOWN. IN 1941, HE RESIGNED FROM THE NAVY TO JOIN GENERAL CLAIRE CHENAULT'S FLYING TIGERS. HE FLEW P-40 AIRCRAFT AGAINST THE JAPANESE UNTIL THE FLYING TIGERS DISBANDED IN 1942 AND HE LEFT THE CHINESE MILITARY AT THE RANK OF MAJOR. HE FLEW SIKORSKY VS-44 FLYING BOATS, MARTIN PBM MARINER FLYING BOATS AND C-54 TRANSPORT PLANES. HE ALSO WAS A PART-TIME PRODUCTION TEST PILOT ON GENERAL MOTORS-BUILT FM WILDCAT NAVY FIGHTERS. HE WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS 'FOR PARTICIPATING IN AERIAL FLIGHTS DEC. 7, 1941 TO JULY 18, 1942 AMERICAN VOLUNTEER GROUP CHINESE AIR FORCE AND THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION GIVEN TO FLYING TIGERS FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION AGAINST AN ARMED ENEMY SOUTH CHINA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA FROM 1941 TO1942.