A portrait of fighter pilot Ralph Orduna in uniform.Ralph Orduna was a fighter pilot in World War 2. He earned the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and was part of the "Tuskeegee Airmen". He was part of the 301 Fighter Squadron of the 15th Air Force's 332…
This photo shows Ralph Orduna being interviewed by a television journalist in Chicago at Midway Airport in 1981. Behind them is a P-51 Mustang fighter jet, the same kind of aircraft Orduna flew in combat during World War II. Mr. Orduna’s son…
This photo shows fighter pilot Ralph Orduna in the cockpit of a training aircraft surrounded by other members of the 332 Fighter Group. Mr. Orduna’s son Philip informs us that he trained other pilots after earning his wings.
Orduna was a 2nd…
This photo shows Ralph Orduna receiving his wings, signifying his completion of flight school. He is pictured here with his sister, Maria, who is pinning his wings, and his father, Enrique. Orduna was part of the 301 Fighter Squadron of the 15th Air…
This is a photo of Ralph Orduna (middle) at Martin Bomber Plant with fellow employees. Mr. Orduna went on to become a supervisor at the plant before enlisting in the US Army Air Corps. Martin Bomber Plant, which opened 1942, produced B-26 and B-29…
This questionnaire was sent to Václav Karel in January 2, 1915 by Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions from Washington D.C. After the Civil War the Pension Bureau grew quickly and created bureaucratic procedures to provide reliable pension…