[George T. Chandler oral history interview]

Fighter ace George T. Chandler discusses his military service with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He describes his experiences as a fighter pilot and his time with the 339th Fighter Squadron of the 347th Fighter Group in the South Pacific. Special focus on a combat mission on November 8, 1943 in which Chandler’s squadron provided air support for a beachhead invasion force at Bougainville.

George T. Chandler was born on February 1, 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. He joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1941 and graduated from flight training the following year. Deployed to the South Pacific in 1943, Chandler flew with the 339th Fighter Squadron of the 347th Fighter Group, flying missions in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. After his combat tour, Chandler returned to the United States to serve as a tactical instructor. He left the military in 1946 to pursue a career in the banking industry. Chandler passed away in 2010.

Biographical information courtesy of: Boyce, Ward J., ed., American fighter aces album. Mesa, Ariz: American Fighter Aces Association, 1996.