World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Theodore E. Gaty, III
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
San Diego, California
Relationship
Self
CAPTAIN-NAVIGATOR. ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS RESERVE, SAN DIEGO PRIOR TO WWII (1939). JOINED THE REGULAR ARMY WITH BASIC INFANTRY TRAINING AT CAMP ROBERTS; SELECTED FOR NAVIGATION SCHOOL, MATHER FIELD, CALIFORNIA. COMMISSIONED SECOND LIEUTENANT AND ASSIGNED TO THE AIR CORPS FERRY COMMAND DELIVERING A VARIETY OF AIRCRAFT TO COMBAT ZONES AROUND THE WORLD: C-46 AND C-47 TRANSPORT PLANES TO INDIA FOR MISSIONS OVER THE 'HUMP' INTO CHINA; B-25 BOMBERS WITH LARGE CANNON TO THE RUSSIANS IN ABADAN (BASRA); B-26 BOMBERS TO THE FRANCH IN LIBYA; AND B-17 'FLYING FORTRESS' BOMBERS TO ENGLAND AND SOUTH AMERICA. REASSIGNED TO THE RE-DESIGNATED AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND, HAMILTON FIELD, THEN MOVED TO TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE FLYING C-54 TRANSPORTS TO THE PACIFIC THEATER ISLANDS OF GUAM, GUADALCANAL, TARAWA, BIAK, PHILIPPINE, SAIPAN, OKINAWA, AND FINALLY TO JAPAN FOR ITS OCCUPATION AND RETURN OF TROOPS. RETURNED TO CAMP BEALE, CALIFORNIA, FOR RELEASE FROM THE SERVICE BUT ELECTED TO CONTINUE IN THE AIR FORCE RESERVE COMPLETING TWENTY YEARS AND ASPIRING TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL.