| Col. Owen J. Baggett United States Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 29, 1920 |
| Died | July 27, 2006 (aged 85) |
| Place of birth | Graham, Texas |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force |
| Unit | 9th Bomb Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Prisoner of War Medal |
Owen John Baggett (August 29, 1920 – July 27, 2006)[1] was a second lieutenant in the United States 7th Bomb Group based at Pandaveswar, in India, during the Second World War.
Baggett was born in Graham, Texas in 1920.[1] He graduated from Hardin–Simmons University in 1941, where he was the band's drum major.[1][2][3][4] He initially went to work on Wall Street after graduation.[5]
Military service[]
He joined the Army Air Corps and graduated pilot training on July 26, 1942 at the New Columbus Army Flying School.[6]
On March 31, 1943, the squadron was instructed to destroy a bridge at Pyinmana[4] but before reaching their target, the B-24 bombers were attacked by Japanese fighter planes. Baggett's plane was badly hit, and the crew were ordered to bail out. As the B-24 exploded, the Japanese pilots attempted to shoot the US airmen as they parachuted to earth, one plane approaching Baggett within feet, and then, nose-up and in an almost-stall, the pilot opened his canopy. Baggott claims to have shot the Japanese pilot with his pistol,[7][8][9] becoming legendary as the only person to down a Japanese airplane with a .45 handgun.[1][4][10][11][12] He was later captured by the Japanese, and held for over two years.[1][3][13] After 30 months captivity, he and 37 other POWs were liberated by 8 OSS agents who parachuted into Singapore.[14]
While assigned to Mitchel Air Force Base, he was noted for his assignment working with children, including sponsoring a boy and a girl to be commander for a day.[15] Baggett retired from the Air Force as a colonel and later worked as a defense contractor manager for Litton.[2][4][16]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Owen John Baggett". 30 June 2006. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sanantonio/obituary.aspx?n=owen-john-baggett&pid=88867663#fbLoggedOut. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bethel, Brian (29 July 2006). "Owen Baggett, 85: friend of many, good drummer, one heck of a WWII tale". Abilene Reporter-News. http://www.reporternews.com/news/2006/jul/29/owen-baggett-85-friend-of-many-good-drummer-one/. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hayes, Harry H., ed (April 1943). "Owen Baggett Missing In Action". p. 1. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth116776/m1/1/. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Britt Yates, Jones, ed (April 2007). "A War, A Legend, and Forgiveness". Hardin-Simmons University. pp. 50–51. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117124/.
- ↑ "Keeping Up With the Exs". August 1941. p. 3. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth116758/. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- ↑ "Keeping Up With the Exs". October 1942. p. 3. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth116770/. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- ↑ Thompson, Leroy (2011). The Colt 1911 Pistol. Osprey Publishing. p. 42. ISBN 1849084335.
- ↑ Pictorial history of the 7th Bombardment Group/Wing, 1918-1995. 7th Bombardment Group(H) Historical Foundation. 1998. p. 286. ISBN 096604620X.
- ↑ Kelly, Andy (2004). Magellan And I. AuthorHouse. pp. 174–175. ISBN 1418496456.
- ↑ Frisbee, John L. (1966). "Valor: David and Goliath". http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/1996/July%201996/0796valor.aspx.
- ↑ "The M1911 Gets a Zero". The American Rifleman. National Rifle Association. 29 March 2011. http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/m1911-gets-a-zero/. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
- ↑ Campbell, Robert K. (2011). Gun Digest Shooters Guide to the 1911. Gun Digest Books. p. 24. ISBN 1440218943. http://books.google.com/books?id=dltfyqFaA68C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Gun+Digest+Shooters+Guide+to+the+1911&source=bl&ots=7KalIVDJB-&sig=lIQhWokhL6sGVY92Zu-rpmocIr4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oDYyUNf-M-L9igLC8IDABw&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Baggett&f=false.
- ↑ Bourjaily, Phil (3 June 2011). "Best Shot with a 1911. Ever.". The Gun Nut. Field & Stream. http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/gun-nuts/2011/06/best-shot-1911-ever. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ↑ Dorr, Robert F. (1997). 7th Bombardment Group/Wing, 1918-1995. Turner Publishing Company. p. 195. ISBN 1563112787.
- ↑ "Error: no
|title=specified when using {{Cite web}}". 1953. p. 156. - ↑ Missiles and Rockets, Vol. 14. American Aviation Publications. 1964. p. 142.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Owen J. Baggett and the edit history here.