A World War II pilot will share his stories of flying the “hump” and living his childhood dream Nov. 6 on NE Campus.
Edward C. Larson, 88, realized that dream of becoming an Army pilot in 1942, when he received his wings and was promptly sent to western China, just east of Burma, said NE photography associate professor Patricia Richards, his cousin.
“He was a C-46 pilot from 1942-45 and stayed in the reserves until ’56,” she said. “The pilots flew these planes as single-pilot planes over the Himalayas, something that was perilous in itself. The success of each mission depended on whether or not the pilot could get the plane through the mountains. They could not go over the mountains because they were too high, so they had to navigate their way in and around them.”
Richards said Larson has never talked about what happened in China, other than the fact that he was the youngest pilot in the India-Burma-China theater of World War II.
Larson is ready to share these stories accompanied with photographs during the NE Campus Veterans Day celebration 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Center Corner (NSTU 1615). A more recent veteran will also speak.
“He is a wonderful storyteller,” she said. “He is not interested in any kind of honorarium. He simply wants to pass on his experiences while he is still able to do so.”
For more information, call student activities at 817-515-6688.
— Kenney Kost
