John M. Conroy
| John M. Conroy | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
December 14, 1920 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 5, 1979 (aged 58) Northridge, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Pistol Creek Ranch, Idaho, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman Aircraft designer |
| Spouse(s) | Gloria, Jeanne, Milbrey, Lynn |
| Children | Michael, Barbara, John Timothy, William, Angelee, Clifford |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Air Forces California Air National Guard |
| Years of service | 1942–1948 (USAAF) 1954-1957 and 1960-1961 (CANG) |
| Rank | 2nd Lieutenant |
| Unit |
379th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, USAAC 115th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, CAL ANG |
| Battles/wars |
World War II POW |
| Awards |
Purple Heart Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters Distinguished Flying Cross |
John Michael "Jack" Conroy (December 14, 1920 – December 5, 1979) was an American actor, aviator, and later businessman, whose company Aero Spacelines developed the Pregnant Guppy, Super Guppy, and Mini Guppy cargo aircraft. He later founded Conroy Aircraft and Specialized Aircraft in Santa Barbara, California.
Conroy was born in Buffalo, New York, later attended high school in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, and studied engineering at St. Gregory's College (St. Gregory's University) in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He hitched a ride on a freight train from Oklahoma to Hollywood, California, where he landed bit parts in films during the years of 1937–1940 under the screen name of Michael Conroy, since John Conroy was already taken. Some of the films were with "The Little Tough Guys". He attended the College of Theatre Arts at the Pasadena Playhouse.
In 1940, against the advice of his agent who said "the big parts are coming", he hopped a freighter to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he learned to fly and made his first solo flight in 1940. He was working at Pearl Harbor as a civilian digging underground fuel tanks on Sunday, December 7, 1941. After witnessing the Japanese attack he immediately enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces.
In early 1942, just months after his 21st birthday, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, and as the pilot of a B-17 was in command of a nine-man crew. After training in the U.S., he flew his B-17 across the North Atlantic and as part of the 379th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force, operating from Kimbolton, England, flew 19 missions over Germany. On his 19th mission, on November 30, 1944, his aircraft was shot down over German farmland. After his crew bailed out, he forced his way out of the nose door, dislocating and fracturing his shoulder and breaking his right arm in the process. He parachuted to earth, landing in a farmer's field somewhere near Zeitz, was captured, interrogated and interned as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft I, Compound North 3, on the Baltic coast until the end of the war. Conroy remained on active duty with the USAAF until 1948, serving as a special air mission pilot and as an instructor in a Reserve Training Unit. Following an honorable discharge from the service, he spent 12 years as an airline pilot.
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