Lt. Colonel James Elsner
US Army, 8th Fighter Squadron,
354th Fighter Wing
1943-1968 Aleutian Islands
US Army, 8th Fighter Squadron,
354th Fighter Wing
1943-1968 Aleutian Islands
James Elsner of West Hartford, Connecticut, turned 100 this year and will be celebrating his 69th wedding anniversary on October 15th. James was drafted at the age of 22 in August 1942. His two brothers were also drafted. He started out in the signal corps but took an exam to be a pilot and he passed. After the American troops pushed the Japanese out of the western end of Aleutian Islands (did you know the Japanese occupied a small part of the US????) in 1943 Jim was sent to Attu Alaska to fly a Curtis P-40 Warhawk. He named his plane Carolyn after his mother.
He was in the 18th Fighter Squadron, assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The fighting was over when he arrived, but they trained and flew patrols to deter and defend. In December of '45 he left the Army but remained active in the CT Air National Guard and continued to fly until 1968. He was activated for the Korean War but did not have to leave the US. He showed us a picture of his unit and they had two dogs, which looked to be, Springer Spaniels named Stuka and Zero. While in the reserves he was in a flight of planes that passed over Harry Truman's second inauguration in 1949.
Jim worked at G Fox as a credit manager and met his wife Dorothy who was working in the foundations department. They were married in 1950 and spent their honeymoon in Bermuda. They had 3 children. Jim made it clear several times that Dorothy is the love of his life
Jim gave us the grand tour of his home which his wife has impeccably furnished. Unfortunately, knee problems have confined her the Hebrew Home in West Hartford where he visits her once a day, because of course he still drives. Saturday night is date night, and he brings her dinner for their date. Tonight, it will be Ruby Tuesdays. Although her favorite meal is scallops, mashed potatoes and asparagus, which he cooks. We asked the secret to 68+ years of marriage. He said, "patience".
There are numerous pictures through his house and he and his wife could have been on the Look and Life magazine covers as the all-American couple. Both good-looking and Jim had quite a physique. He also had quite a collection of cars through the years including a 1938 convertible which Jim described as "a babe magnet".
Jim reads the Hartford Courant and the Wall Street Journal and frequently speaks to his Alexa. While we were there he had Alexa play part of his collection of Bing Crosby tunes. He also is reading the biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Finally, it turns out that his great-niece is a senior at Northwest Catholic along with our daughter. Small world!
We asked him for his most vivid memory of his days in the service, expecting a memory of WW2, he said, "flying a P80" which he did with the Air National Guard.
Lieutenant Colonel James Elsner, thank you for your sacrifices and good luck with the scallops!
He was in the 18th Fighter Squadron, assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The fighting was over when he arrived, but they trained and flew patrols to deter and defend. In December of '45 he left the Army but remained active in the CT Air National Guard and continued to fly until 1968. He was activated for the Korean War but did not have to leave the US. He showed us a picture of his unit and they had two dogs, which looked to be, Springer Spaniels named Stuka and Zero. While in the reserves he was in a flight of planes that passed over Harry Truman's second inauguration in 1949.
Jim worked at G Fox as a credit manager and met his wife Dorothy who was working in the foundations department. They were married in 1950 and spent their honeymoon in Bermuda. They had 3 children. Jim made it clear several times that Dorothy is the love of his life
Jim gave us the grand tour of his home which his wife has impeccably furnished. Unfortunately, knee problems have confined her the Hebrew Home in West Hartford where he visits her once a day, because of course he still drives. Saturday night is date night, and he brings her dinner for their date. Tonight, it will be Ruby Tuesdays. Although her favorite meal is scallops, mashed potatoes and asparagus, which he cooks. We asked the secret to 68+ years of marriage. He said, "patience".
There are numerous pictures through his house and he and his wife could have been on the Look and Life magazine covers as the all-American couple. Both good-looking and Jim had quite a physique. He also had quite a collection of cars through the years including a 1938 convertible which Jim described as "a babe magnet".
Jim reads the Hartford Courant and the Wall Street Journal and frequently speaks to his Alexa. While we were there he had Alexa play part of his collection of Bing Crosby tunes. He also is reading the biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Finally, it turns out that his great-niece is a senior at Northwest Catholic along with our daughter. Small world!
We asked him for his most vivid memory of his days in the service, expecting a memory of WW2, he said, "flying a P80" which he did with the Air National Guard.
Lieutenant Colonel James Elsner, thank you for your sacrifices and good luck with the scallops!