U.S. Army Air force

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Capt. Ballard was born 7-25-1918 in Victoria County, Texas. He began school in a one-room schoolhouse in Concho, TX. He graduated high school in Austin, TX, and then enrolled in the University of Texas as a chemical engineer major. He quit university to join the Army and went to Navigator school in Georgia. He was posted to California before being transferred to England. His brother, Bern, does not know how many missions he flew before he was shot down over Holland as a B-25 navigator. Nothing is really known of how or where he died. It is only known that he is buried in Germany. KIA while on a mission over Holland. 

I met Mr. Porter when he answered my ad in the paper. His kids had no interest in his "history" therefore he parted with some of his souvenirs. He has since passed. I remember that he said he shot down two German twin-engine bombers when they were trying to hit bridges we wanted to cross over. He was primarily ground support, also targets of opportunity. I understand that he gave the German tanks hell. He was shot down over Normandy on D+6 when strafing the German lines. He was shot through the knee on the way down, finally being recovered by the skirmishing Americans. As I recall, he flew close to 100 missions. 

Mr. Wall was an armorer for P-47 Thunderbolts - the Jug. He was stationed in England and France. What a small world it is....on occasion, he armed my 2 older brother's boy scout leader's plane: Taste of Texas flown by Charles Mohrley. He is A. Wall, hence people use to tease him and say he was AWOL.