[Robert M. DeHaven oral history interview (Part 4 of 5)]

In this five-part oral history, fighter ace Robert M. DeHaven is interviewed about his military service with the United States Army Air Forces. In part four, DeHaven continues to describe his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot and his time in the South Pacific with the 7th Fighter Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group during World War II. Topics discussed include military life and conditions in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea and stories about the Fat Cat Flight, comprised of DeHaven and fellow fighter aces Richard I. “Dick” Bong, Thomas B. “Tommy” McGuire, and Gerald W. “Jerry” Johnson.

The interview is conducted by an unidentified interviewer and by fellow fighter ace Eugene A. Valencia. Valencia is identified in the transcript whenever possible.

Robert M. DeHaven was born on January 13, 1922 in San Diego, California. He joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1942 and graduated from flight training the following year. DeHaven served with the 7th Fighter Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group during World War II, flying missions in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. He later became Group Operations Officer of the 49th Fighter Group. DeHaven remained in the military after the war, representing the Air National Guard as their acceptance test pilot for the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. He transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 1950 and retired as a colonel in 1965. In his civilian life, he worked for the Hughes Aircraft Company as a test pilot and executive and as the personal pilot for Howard Hughes. He also served as president of the American Fighter Aces Association. DeHaven passed away in 2008.

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