CALVIN BUTLER

Long-time fire bomber pilot saved many historic airframes

Calvin J. Butler was horn on 15 November 1918 in Redmond, Oregon, and died on 14 July at Bend, Oregon, Growing up, all he wanted to do was fly. His first flight was at age 14 with a barnstormer at a country fair. Within two years he started taking flying lessons and soloed on 15 August 1937 in a 40-hp Jaylor Cub. he received his license in May 1938. After attending college, he joined the Army Air Corps in October 1940.

Cal attended Primary Flight School at Kyan School of Aeronautics in San Diego, Basic Flight School at Moffet Field in San Jose, Advanced Flight School in Stockton and graduated with wings in May 1941. His first assignment was as an instructor at San Jose before moving to Gardner Field, Toft, California, as a Basic Instructor. His next assignment took him to the Instructors' School at Sacramento, California, and then was assigned to a B-25 RTU School at Mather Field.

CaI then transferred to P-38 transition and gunnery school at Williams Field. he left that location and joined the 499th FG in January 1944 at Glendale, California, and then trained with the 434rd FS at Lomita, California, before shipping overseas to Wattisham, England. he was assigned to fly top cover for the Omaha beach landing on 6 june 1944.

On 17 june, he was flying his third mission of the day and hombing a bridge near Paris. He and his wingman destroyed the bridge but Cat's P-38 was hit by ground fire. His left engine on fire, he spotted an enemy troop train. Shutting down the engine and extinguishing the fire, he attacked and blew up the train. German soldiers on the ground hit the P-38 numerous times and CaI realized he was not going to make the Channel. Going as far as he could, he bailed out but hit the tail which broke his back.

Captured by the Germans, he was given medical treatment and moved to Stalag Luft III near Berlin. As a POW he had to teach himself to walk again. In January J 945, as Russians neared, the entire camp was force-marched through snow and freezing temperatures. Arriving at Spremberg, the POWs were loaded on rail cars and moved to Stalag Luft III where he remained until the camp was liberated by Gen. Patton and the 4th Army in May 1945.

After discharge, he started a crop dusting and spraying business which became quite successful. In the mid-1950s, he formed Butler Aircraft as a fire bomber operation at Redmond, Oregon. In 1962, he purchased a surplus B-17G and converted it to a fire bomber and used the plane for 22 years before it found a new home in the Royal Air Force Museum. Jhrough the years, Butler Aircraft operated TBM Avengers, F7F Tigercats, FM-2 Wildcats, B-26 Invaders, and the B-17 as fire bombers. Many of these aircraft survive today as restored Warhirds.

CaI began to switch to DC-7s and DC-6s as fire bombers. Jhe hours were long and hard and occasional setbacks occurred more often than he cared to admit. he endured it all, including a 1969 hangar fire that destroyed one aircraft and his entire parts supply, and a devastating DC-7 crash that killed twelve employees in 1979. Through it all, Cat's hard work and never-quit attitude saw him through the tough times.

As we go to press, two of Cal's DC-7s are fighting fires in Oregon under contract to the State.

Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Oct 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved