Daniel Forbes
Daniel Hugh Forbes, Jr. (June 6, 1920 – June 5, 1948) was an American aviator.
Daniel Hugh Forbes, Jr.
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|---|---|
 Daniel Hugh Forbes, Jr. | |
| Born | June 6, 1920 Carbondale, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 1948 (aged 27) North of Muroc Air Force Base, California, U.S. |
| Place of burial | Overbrook, Kansas, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  |
| Service/ |   |
| Years of service | 1941–1948 |
| Rank | |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Biography
Born June 6, 1920, in Carbondale, Kansas, Osage County, the only child of Daniel Sr., and Hattie Forbes of Topeka, Kansas. He married the former Hazel Moog of Defiance, Ohio, having graduated North High School in Wichita, Kansas.
Later, he attended Wichita University (now Wichita State University) and Kansas State College in Manhattan, Kansas (now Kansas State University).
He joined the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on June 5, 1941, as an Aviation Cadet.
He became one of the pioneers of strategic photo-reconnaissance flying combat missions from bases in North Africa and India piloting the B-17, B-24, and several other aircraft. He continued the photo-reconnaissance missions in the Pacific theater flying the B-29 airframe (re-designated F-13) and continued through the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests.
Forbes was killed on June 5, 1948, one day before his 28th birthday, when the Northrop YB-49 "Flying Wing" he was piloting crashed north of Muroc Air Force Base. All five crew-members were lost.
Topeka Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas was renamed and dedicated as Forbes Air Force Base on July 13, 1949 in honor of Major Daniel Forbes, Jr.
Major Forbes is buried in the Overbrook, Kansas cemetery.
References
- Check-Six.com - The Crash of the YB-49 'Flying Wing' - Includes full crew list