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|birth_place= [[North Battleford, Saskatchewan|North Battleford]], [[Saskatchewan]], [[Canada]]
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Revision as of 21:10, 25 February 2023

Perry John Dahl
Nickname(s)PJ
Born (1923-02-18) February 18, 1923 (age 101)
North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branchUnited States Air Force
Years of service1940–1975
Rank Colonel
Unit
Commands
  • 56th Special Operations Wing
Battles / warsWorld War II
Vietnam War
Awards

Perry John Dahl (February 18, 1923) was a United States Air Force colonel and a flying ace, who was credited in destroying 9 enemy aircraft in aerial combat during World War II.

Early life

Born on February 18, 1923, in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada, Dahl and his family immigrated to the United States, where they settled in Seattle, Washington. He attended three years of high school before enlisting in the military.[1][2]

Military career

On June 17, 1940, Dahl enlisted in the Washington National Guard and after completion of training, was assigned to the 41st Infantry Division. In the aftermath the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on September 26, 1942. On June 22, 1943, he was awarded his pilot wings and was commissioned as a second lieutenant at Williams Field in Arizona.[3]

World War II

475th Fighter Group
475th Fighter Group

After the completion of training in the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Dahl was assigned to the 55th Fighter Group at Tumwater, Washington. In October 1943, he was sent to the South West Pacific theatre where he was assigned to the 432d Fighter Squadron of the 475th Fighter Group at Dobodura Airfield in New Guinea. Flying P-38 Lightnings in aerial combat, Dahl scored his first aerial victory in his first mission on November 9, 1943, when he shot a Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" while escorting A-20 Havocs and B-25 Mitchells on a strike against a Japanese airfield in Alexishafen. On December 22, he shot down another Zero over Wewak, his second serial victory. On January 23, 1944, he scored his third aerial victory after shooting down a Zero over Wewak and on February 24, Dahl took off from Nadzab on a mission against the Japanese-held Momote Airfield. Due to bad weather, he was forced to turn back from the mission and diverted to an airfield in Cape Gloucester and while landing, his P-38 collided with a B-24 Liberator on the runway.[1][4][5][6]

Restored P-38 Lightning Skidoo

In April 1944, he was promoted to the rank of captain and became operations officer of the 479th FG. On April 3, during a mission over Hollandia, Dutch East Indies, he shot down a Zero and a Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar", bringing his total to six aerial victories and hence earning the title of flying ace. The 475th FG moved to the Philippines in October 1944 and was stationed at San Pablo Airfield in Leyte during the Philippines campaign. On November 10, 1944, while escorting B-25s attacking Japanese shipping at Ormoc Bay, Dahl's P-38 formation were intercepted by a formation of Kawasaki Ki-61 "Tonys" flying in close formation towards east. The P-38s made a first pass and Dahl managed to shoot down one of the Tonys, his seventh aerial victory. While turning for a second pass, Dahl's P-38 collided with another P-38 flown by 2nd Lt. Grady Laseter Jr. As a result of the collision, Dahl ditched his P-38 in Ormoc Bay, while Laseter was killed after he was unable to bail out and crashed into the sea. Dahl was rescued by Philippine resistance who hid him until he returned to American lines on December 10.[1][4][5][7][6]

On January 15, 1945, Dahl returned to duty and on March 5, he scored his eighth aerial victory, a Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" bomber. Dahl shot down a Mitsubishi A6M3-32 "Hamp", his ninth and final aerial victory on March 28, 1945, during an escort of bombers attacking a Japanese naval convoy off the coast of French Indochina, for which he received the Silver Star.[1][4][6][8]

During World War II, Dahl was credited with destroying 9 enemy aircraft in aerial combat while flying 158 combat missions. While serving with the 475th FG, one of his P-38s bore the name "Skidoo".[1][4][6]

Post war

Dahl returned to the United States in June 1945 and after the end of World War II, he left military service briefly to attend University of Washington and University of Southern Colorado, where he graduated from the latter with a bachelor of science degree. He was employed with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for a short period time until he was recalled to active duty with the United States Air Force in 1951, and was stationed at Kelly Air Force Base in Texas and Châteauroux-Déols Air Base in France, from February 1951 to June 1954. From 1954 to 1957, he was assigned to the Flying Safety Branch at Norton Air Force Base in California. After attending Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, Dahl continued to serve in numerous staff positions including at the Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon from 1966 to 1970.[2]

During the Vietnam War, Dahl served with the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam from June 1970 to June 1971. After his return to the United States, he was assigned to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he served as the Deputy Commandant for the Cadet Wing and then Vice Commandant of Cadets from June 1971 to July 1974. In his second tour of duty during the Vietnam War, he was assigned to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base where he served as commander of the 56th Special Operations Wing from July 1974 to April 1975.[2]

In April 1975, he was assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs with Headquarters Aerospace Defense Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command until his retirement from the Air Force on 1978.[2]

Later life

After his retirement from the Air Force, Dahl resided in Florida.

The Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California restored a P-38 and applied it with painting and decals of Dahl's P-38 "Skidoo". The P-38 is now flown at airshows with the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation.[9]

In 2015, he along with other flying aces received the Congressional Gold Medal, in recognition of "their heroic military service and defense of the country's freedom throughout the history of aviation warfare."[10]

On 18 February 2023, he turned 100 years old, making him a centenarian.[11]

Awards and decorations

Bronze oak leaf cluster
Silver oak leaf cluster
Silver oak leaf cluster
Silver oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Silver star
Bronze star
Silver star
Silver oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze star
United States Air Force Command Pilot Badge
Silver Star
Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star
Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal
with bronze oak leaf cluster 		Air Medal
with three silver oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
with bronze oak leaf cluster 		Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Army Good Conduct Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
with silver campaign star 		World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal
with service star
Vietnam Service Medal
with silver campaign star 		Air Force Longevity Service Award
with silver and bronze oak leaf cluster 		Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon Philippine Liberation Medal
with service star 		Philippine Independence Medal
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Vietnam Campaign Medal

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Perry J. "PJ" Dahl: P-38 Lightning Pilot and Ace". Pacific Wrecks. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  2. ^ a b c d "Perry J. Dahl". Veteran Tributes. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  3. ^ Dahl, Perry; Busha, James (2018-10-01). "Running With The Devil: Becoming an Ace with the Satan's Angels". Flight Journal (Press Reader). Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  4. ^ a b c d "Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II" (PDF). 1978. p. 54. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  5. ^ a b Wertz, Jay (2017-03-06). "P.J. Dahl: P-38 Pilot with Nine Lives". History Net. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  6. ^ a b c d "Col. Perry J. "PJ" Dahl". 475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  7. ^ Wright, J.L (2013). The Search That Never Was: The Untold Truth about the 1948-49 Search for World War II American Personnel Missing in Action in the South Pacific. p. 524. ISBN 9781625166791. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  8. ^ "Valor Awards for Perry Dahl". Military Times. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  9. ^ "Warbird Stories: 23-Skidoo P-38 Lightning". Air Force Heritage Flight. 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  10. ^ "American Fighter Aces Receive Congressional Gold Medal". U.S. Mint. 2015-05-25. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  11. ^ Senior Airman Leandra Garcia (2023-02-21). "P-38 Lightning Pilot tours F-35A Lightning II for 100th Birthday". 33rd Fighter Wing (USAF). Retrieved 2022-02-25.
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