Walter Ott served our country during World War II as a pilot in the US Air Force. His obituary gives some highlights of his career. Fold3.com gives us photos of Walter. Researching Walter's service was the first time I found photographs on Fold3. I was very excited to be able to see this amazing man.
Lt. Col. Walter Wesley Ott
16 February 1917 – 30 October 2006
Son of Walter D. Ott & May Cutrer
McComb, Miss. – Lt. Col. Walter Wesley Ott, a military pilot who ferried such celebrities as Bob Hope and Irving Berlin during World War II, has died. He was 89.
Ott died Monday. He was a test pilot for the Air Force for 22 years, but made a name for himself as a pilot for some of the era’s biggest stars – James Cagney, Bing Crosby, Mickey Rooney and Hope.
He was chosen during World War II to shuttle the celebrities to USO events because of his flying skills, according to his wife, Elizabeth Ott.
Elizabeth Ott said that as a leader in the military, her husband was protective of the young pilots under his command when it came to testing unproven new aircraft.
He was the test pilot on more than 50 flights during his career, she said.
Ott’s son, John Ott of McComb, said his dad’s fondest Thanksgiving was during the war when he had lunch with his childhood idol, Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh was the hero to many flying enthusiasts after becoming the first pilot to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.
Source: Walter Wesley Ott, 89, pilot for celebrities. (Ft Myers, FL: News – Press, 3 Nov 2006) 18; digital image, Newspapers.com: accessed May 2022.
Related Posts:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by my blog & for leaving a comment. It is always good to hear from visitors, cousins & fellow bloggers. Note that I do not publish anonymous comments.