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Robert L. Scott

Robert Lee Scott Jr.
Robert Lee Scott Jr.jpg
Robert Lee Scott Jr., fighter ace and author
Nickname(s) Scotty
Born (1908-04-12)12 April 1908
Waynesboro, Georgia
Died 27 February 2006(2006-02-27) (aged 97)
Warner Robins, Georgia
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch  United States Air Force
Years of service 1932–1957
Rank US-O7 insignia.svg Brigadier General
Commands held 23rd Fighter Group
36th Fighter Bomber Wing
Luke Air Force Base
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Silver Star (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross (3)
Air Medal (3)
Other work author

Robert Lee Scott Jr. (12 April 1908 – 27 February 2006) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. Scott is best known for his autobiography God is My Co-Pilot about his exploits in World War II with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma. The book was eventually made into a film of the same name.

Scott was born in Waynesboro, near Macon, Georgia, the oldest of three children born to Ola and Robert Scott. As a youth, Scott was educated in Macon and became an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. At the age of five he witnessed the fatal aircraft crash of pioneer aviator Eugene Ely.

Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1932, Scott completed pilot training at Kelly Field, Texas. In October 1933, he was assigned to Mitchel Field, New York. Scott flew air mail in 1934, commanded a pursuit squadron in Panama, and helped instruct other pilots at bases in Texas and California.

After World War II began, Scott joined Task Force Aquila in February 1942 to fly a group of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers to the China Burma India Theater. Anxious to join the mission, which was to bomb Japan from China, he professed to be an experienced B-17 pilot. He actually learned to fly it en route to Africa. Upon arrival in India, he found the mission had been scrubbed so he became stuck in India when he really wanted to be on the frontline in a cockpit flying combat. Within a month, he was executive and operations officer of the Assam-Burma-China (Ferry) Command, forerunner of the famous Air Transport Command, flying the Hump from India to China to supply the Kuomintang government. When the commanding officer left for China on 17 June, Scott was left in command of the operation for several days.


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