North High School Wall of Honor
Morrey Jerry Friedman
Class of January, 1937
Morrey J. Friedman
Research done by Claradell Shedd, Class of 1953. PAGE IN PROGRESS
Morrey graduated from the North High class of January, 1937. He enlisted in the US Army Air Corps at Camp Dodge, IA. When? At the time of his enlistment, his next of kin was Mr. William Friedman, 1644 16th Street, Des Moines, IA. His service number was 0-666267.
Morrey Jerry Friedman
Year x Rank x Status
January, 1937 x x x Graduated from North High, Des Moines, IA
x x Student x ?
February 23, 1942 x US Army Air Corps/
PVT
x Enlisted at Fort Des Moines, IA. What Squadron? What Wing?
date x Pilot Training x *Kelly Field, TX. (San Antonio)
*Kelly Field was created by act of Congress in December 1916m when the lease of 700 acres of land was authorized. It became the home of the 3rd Aero Squadron and on June 11, 1917 was named for Lt. George E.M., Kelly. Later that year it was expanded with the addition known as Kelly Field Number 2, home to the flying training center.

The General Supply Depot moved to Kelly from downtown San Antonio, where it was joined by the aviation repair depot from Dallas in 1921, forming the Intermediate Air Depot. The Advanced Flying School moved to Kelly Field Number 2 in 1922, training pilots in advanced skills such as pursuit and bombardment.

In 1925, Kelly Field Number 1 was renamed Duncan Field in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Duncan and Kelly Field Number 2 became simply Kelly Field. In 1943, with the rapid expansion of programs to train pilots needed in Europe and the Pacific, congestion became a real threat, so Kelly and Duncan were reunited as Kelly Field. When the training mission was separated and moved to the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, which was to become Lackland, the primary mission of Kelly Field became maintenance and supply.
date x Pilot Training/
Twin Engines
x Twin Engine Pilot Training; *Lubbock, TX
*Lubbock AAF, Lubbock, TX; Central Flying Training Command,
Gulf Coast Training Center, 1942.
Was: Lubbock Air Force Base (1947-1949)
Was: Reese Air Force Base (1949-1997)
March, 1943? x US Air Force/
Graduated
x Graduated as Pilot.*Accra, Africa on the British Gold Coast. 12th Ferrying Group; then the 41st Ferrying Group. There I was a co-pilot until promoted as Captain.
*Ghana also played a significant role in the Allied war effort. On June 27, 1942, the United States Army activated the Air Transport Command in Cairo under Brigadier General Shepler W. Fitzgerald. Ten days later, Fitzgerald moved his headquarters to Accra and organized the Africa-Middle East Wing. In late 1942, the United States Army expanded its presence in Accra by activating the 12th Ferrying Group Headquarters, the 41st Ferrying Squadron, and the 42nd Ferrying Squadron. The 12th Ferrying Group, which was part of a transportation network reaching from the United States, via Africa, to the China-Burma-India theater of operations, ensured the movement of men and materiel through Senegal, Ghana, and Chad.
date x US Air Force/
Captain
x Flew DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, and B-17
date x Stationed x *Romulus Army Air Base, MI 48174.
*Air Transport Command at Romulus Army Air Base, MI (Detroit). 3rd Ferrying Group, 345th Army Air Force Base Unit. Now Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW).

During World War II, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Michigan for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.

date x Retired x Discharge. Where?
November, 1960 x Commercial Pilot x Commercial Pilot's License granted for airplane single and multi-engine land
date x Civilian x Coronado, CA
March 1, 2012 x Deceased x Coronado, CA
Photos below are just samples. Will be replaced by appropriate Friedman photos.
457th Bomber Group? B-17 Flying Fortress 748th Bomber Squadron?
Morrey J. Friedman
Captain
What group, division, squadron, etc.
United States Army Air Corps
US Army Air Corps
examples

Air Transport Command


Air Force Pilot Wings
Friedman Photo

Captain's Bars
Marksman; Pistol Badge
Marksman; Pistol Badge;
(Other appropriate medals coming.
)
References
(1) The World War II Army Enlistment Records contain information on more than nine million indivdual enlistments. These records can be found online at http://www.archives.gov

(3) The comprehensive list of names from North High's 1893-2018 graduation classes are from Claradell Shedd's North Des Moines High School website. The names of North High School graduates can be found online at: http://www.ndmhs.com/. Morrey Jerry Friedman's 1937 class page is: http://www.ndmhs.com/pages/yearclass1937(1997.60).html.
03/24/10: Resides in Coronado, CA. Died 03/01/12.
Music: "Wind Beneath My Wings"
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