Scott, Robert Lee, Jr., COL

United States World War II Flying Ace. Best known for his autobiography "God is My Co-Pilot" about his World War II adventures with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma. Born in Macon, Gerogia, he graduated as a second lieutenant from the United States Military Academy in 1932, completed pilot training at Kelly Field, Texas, in October 1933 and was then assigned to Mitchel Field, New York. He initially flew the air mail in 1934, then commanded a pursuit squadron in Panama and helped instruct other pilots at bases in Texas and California. After World War II began, he went to Task Force Aquila in February 1942 to the China-Burma-India Theater where he pioneered in air activities involving the evacuation of thousands of Allied troops and refugees trapped when the Japanese overran Burma. Braving blinding storms and pursued by Japanese fighters, he ferried evacuees to India aboard a C-47 transport plane, flying over 17,000-foot peaks. Soon beca,e executive and operations officer of the Assam-Burma-China Ferry Command, forerunner of the famous Air Transport Command and Hump efforts from India to China. At the request of Claire Chennault, and also became fighter commanding officer of the China Air Task Force, which later became the 14th Air Force. From July 1942, flying a Curtiss P-40 fighter painted with the single eye and tiger-shark teeth of the Flying Tigers, he also roamed the skies on one-man missions. Operating out of Dinjan, India, he strafed Japanese truck columns on the Burma Road linking Burma to China, dropped 500-pound bombs on bridges across the Salween River and hit barges loaded with Japanese troops. By October 1943 he flown 388 combat missions and shot down 13 enemy aircraft to become one of the earliest aces of the war. Returned to the United States in late 1943 for a speaking tour to encourage defense production for the war effort, and then became deputy for operations in the School of Applied Tactics at Orlando, Florida. Returned to China in 1944 and flew fighter aircraft equipped with experimental rockets against Japanese supply locomotives in eastern China. He then was assigned to Okinawa to direct the same type of strikes against enemy shipping until the war ended. Was then assigned to staff duty in Washington and other stations until 1949 when he became commander of the very first Jet Fighter School at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. In late 1949 he was assigned as commanding officer of the 36th Fighter Bomber Wing at Furstenfeldbruck, Germany. Graduated from the National War College in 1954 and was assigned to Plans at Headquarters United States Air Force, and then promoted to brigadier general and assigned as director of information under the secretary of the Air Force. In October 1956 he became the base commander at Luke Air Force, Arizona until his retirement from the Air Force October 31, 1957. His military decorations included two Silver Stars, three Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Air Medals. In retirement, he was as busy as ever. He walked the 2,000 mile long Great Wall of China in 1980 at age 72, ran with the Olympic Torch in 1996 (at age 88), and throughout his eighties kept flying anything he could get the Air Force to let him try, including the F-15, F-16 and B-1B. Many aviation enthusiasts came to know him through his tireless volunteer work with the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. His log books recorded over 33,000 hours of flying time. In addition to writing "God Is My Copilot" which was made into a film in 1945, he also authored 13 other books including "Boring a Hole in the Sky," "Look of the Eagle," "The Day I Owned the Sky" and "Flying Tiger: Chennault of China."

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