PROFILE OF A MUSEUM VOLUNTEER

HAROLD HORG

Harold Horg was born January 11, 1923 in Fresno, California to an immigrant family of Russian-German decent. The area where he lived as a young man was affectionately called "Roosian Town" by its residents. After graduation from Edison High School, he attended Fresno State College (Now CSUF) from 1940 to 1943. In October of 1942 at age 19, Harold enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a cadet. He was called to duty in March of 1943, doing one month of boot camp in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was then sent to Montana University in Missoula, Montana April 10, 1943, and stayed until June 1943. This location was used as a holding pattern for the Army Air Corp to control the influx of personnel to the training bases for Aviation Cadets.

In July 1943, Harold was sent to Santa Ana Air Base for pre-flight training that he completed in September 1943. From there, he was transferred to Santa Maria on the California south coast for primary flight training which he completed in November of 1943. Harold was then transferred to Lemoore Air Base in Central California, near his hometown, for basic flight training and assigned to single engine aircraft. Upon completion, he was transferred to Luke Field in Phoenix, Arizona for advanced single engine flight training. That training included aerial gunnery (fixed) plus flying time in a Curtis P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft, an airplane already famous for being part of the Flying Tigers under General Chennault.

Graduating on May 23, 1944, Harold received his pilot wings and was awarded a commission as a Second Lieutenant. He was promoted to fighter pilot of single engine aircraft. Harold received orders he was to be a flight instructor at Luke Field, instructing aviation cadets. He stayed at that assignment until he received orders to report to Columbia Air Base in South Carolina. There Harold started training with twin engine aircraft B-25 Mitchell Bombers. Aircraft crews of six were established for each B-25 Bomber. On November 21, 1944, his group was ordered to Greenville Air Base to begin training for B-25 combat flying. All of the groups training ended on February 26, 1945 and were reassigned to Muroc Air Base (Now Edwards Air Force Base) in California. They joined the 41st Bomb Group of the 7th Air Corps. His group was then forwarded to Salinas Air Base in a holding pattern where they received their overseas combat equipment. They continued on to Seattle P.O.E., where they were loaded with their aircraft on a ship sailing to Hawaii. After a seven-day cruise, they landed in Oahu at Wheeler Field. In only a short time, Barking Sands in Kaui became their final station, while they awaited orders to go into combat with their B-25 Bombers.

To their relief, the war ended abruptly when two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. However, Harold's outfit was instructed to cross the Pacific and landed at Clark Air Base on Luzon in the Philippines. They continued on, joining the 85th fighter wing of the 13th Air Corps, at Nielsen Field on Manila. Harold’s outfit of B-25 crews were broken up and assigned odds and ends duty until June 6, 1946. Harold was then sent home, arriving in Oakland, California at the de-embarkation station for discharging.

Following his release from duty Harold joined the Air Corps Reserves on July 1, 1946 and served for 5 years with no recall to active duty. During this same time, Harold completed college in June 1947 earning a BA degree in accounting. Upon graduation, he pursued his accounting career for 50 years before retiring. He is married to LaVerne and they have five children and six grandchildren. Harold enjoys gardening and holds a master gardeners certificate he received through hard work and training with Cal State University – Fresno. He is considered an expert on the subject. Harold has served as a docent at the Legion of Valor Museum since 1998 and enjoys his time there very much.