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Lieutenant Colonel (USAF Ret.) Gerard F. Wientjes - was born in Ottenheim, Kentucky on March 2, 1917 to Barbara and Frank Wientjes. Gary was the oldest of 5 children. He completed High School in Cullman, Alabama on 5 June 1934. He then completed one year of College at Berea College in Kentucky. Colonel Wientjes then enlisted in the Army Infantry 24 June 1937 (10th Infantry) and after serving two years as an enlisted soldier he applied for and accepted a Reserve Commission in February 1939. He was assigned to Scott Field, Illinois as a Personnel Officer until 1 August 1941 when he was transferred to Keesler Field, Mississippi. Once there he assumed duties as the Personnel Officer in charge of Officer records. On 6 September 1942 he was transferred to Ellington Field, (Hondo) Texas for Basic Flying School and graduated 30 June 1943. This was followed by Instument Instructor training from 1 July to 30 December 1943. His follow-up assignment was as an instructor (at Hondo) teaching flight school until 29 January 1944.

On 23 February 1944 he was assigned to the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron at Keesler Field, Mississippi. He was qualified in the OA-10A later that month as the Squadron was preparing to join the war effort in the South Pacific.

After shipping out and landing in New Guinea in July 1944, Colonel Wientjes flew his first rescue mission on 31 July 1944 and 98 combat missions after that totaling 750 hours during his 16 months supporting the 5th and the 13th Air Forces in their effort to retake the Philippine Islands from the Japanese. Gary flew OA-10A's, C-47B's, and B-17H's while assigned to the 2nd ERS.    Colonel Wientjes (then Captain) was assigned as Operations Officer, Intelligence Officer, Flight leader of "Headquarters" and "A" flights and before leaving had served as the Squadron Commander several times while Major Lewis was on leave.

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice for missions with the 2nd ERS. To read the mission report for the first one, CLICK HERE.

He was promoted to Major while serving with the 2nd ERS and was rotated Stateside in November 1945 after the war was over in the Pacific. He remained on active duty with the new United States Air Force and achieved the rating of Command pilot on 10 September 1957. He retired in 1968, serving in Vietnam as a AC-47 pilot, his final duty as a military pilot with more than 7,500 hours of flight time. He died on July 4, 1979 in Las Vegas, Nevada and is buried in Trenton, Tennessee next to his mother Barbara and his sister and Brother-in-Law, Elizabeth and Robert Teegarden.
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His military awards and decorations include:
Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross (1 OLC), Distinguished Flying Cross (2 OLC)
Air Medal (13 OLC), Asiatic/Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Command Pilot Wings.

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