What do you make of this?

[Dan K]

Hi All,

I had some idle time at a local library and discovered a recent book entitled Wisconsin at War, authored by a Dr. James McIntosh. The book includes 200+ veteran anecdotes (a majority from WWII), and I leafed through it to perhaps discover some local veterans of the air war.

This book includes a brief description of one Burt Avedon. Mr. Avedon is described as having piloted Wildcats, Hellcats, and Corsairs during the war; having served on the carriers Essex, Lexington, and Enterprise; and having obtained 14 aerial victories in the Pacific theatre. His claims continue with an additional 4 kills over Korea while flying off the USS Boxer. He is described as having been awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, 2 DFC's, Purple Heart, and multiple Air Medals. The book also states that Mr. Avedon applied for (and was granted) inclusion into the Chinese Air Force for combat flying before Pearl Harbor.

My question is: Do any WIXers have additonal information on Mr. Burt Avedon? I can't find mention of him on any Navy or Marine aces lists. I'm not questioning the man's achievements, just wondering how such an accomplished aviator snuck under my local radar screen.

Dan

[gilt]

Dan-

Burt Avedon was the President of Willis & Geiger, an advnture clothing company and catalog that was purchased by Land's End. The catalog featured period photos of him sitting in a Hellcat (if memory is correct) cockpit and mentioned his military service, I don't remember anything about ace status and as you noted he isn't on any ace list I've seen.

GilT-

[Hey Joe]

I ran across him 20 years ago when he was in New York. At that time, he had a beautiful flight jacket with a number of kills painted on it as well as a Flying Tiger and a Hellcat. As i am always looking for new sources for occasional writing, I asked standard questions which included requests for photos. He said he lost them in a divorce and was vague on a number of details, but not everyone has a great memory so I passed on using him as a resource. However, I kept looking for references for him in lists of aces, awards and rosters of units and have come up empty after twenty years of occasional searches. After an imposter was "outed" on the Vintage Flight Jacket website, I did a google search and ended up here. I note his combat record and resume has "improved" since late 80s. I suppose years of telling his tales in New York to those who have no reason to doubt him have emboldened him to sweeten it up even more. He is a likeable gent and never did me wrong. In fact, he actually helped on several occasions so I mainly wanted to tell his story as a return for his assistance so I have periodically tried to pull his story together. I'm pretty sure that story is not what is claimed in that book. He's not the only one like that out there, but the only one I actually met. Oh well.

[Russ Blow]

Here is a transcript of an Oral History interview with him from 2001. It makes for some very interesting reading to be sure.

http://www.wisvetsmuseum.com/collection ... 20220_.pdf

Seems he soloed at 12 with a special waiver from the Dept. of Commerce and had over 600 hours by the time he was 16 and already had his instrument and multi ratings! Joined the AVG when he was 18 with no military experience. He was even the guy in the old films of the F6F hitting the carrier superstructure and breaking in half!

Why he was a FAC at the Iwo Jima landing because after high school and military academy he took infantry training and had even turned down an appointment to West Point because it would keep him from the front lines! So after being in the second wave of the landing he even went back to the carrier and flew some combat missions and was injured and cracked up on landing on the carrier! Riveting story is on page 20 on the link below!

http://www.berettagallery.com/index.asp ... f=3&idf=11

And if thats not enough there is this!

http://campsmoke.wordpress.com/2009/08/ ... it-better/

In 1979, a former Abercrombie & Fitch employee named Burt Avedon led a group of investors that revived the Willis & Geiger brand. Avedon, who played football and baseball at UCLA in the 1940s, was a former Naval fighter pilot in World War II and later an African bush pilot and professional hunter.

So...WW 2 Ace and flew over 300 missions in Korea. Then test pilot at Pax River, then over to Europe because he was the only F 4 pilot that spoke foriegn language and was ordered to the USS America to fly recon F-4's during the 67 Arab Israeli war. Then was an aggressor pilot flying F15's at Top Gun and ended up as Commander of the air group on the Kennedy. AND he played football and baseball for UCLA in the 40's and found time to be an African bush pilot AND professional hunter!

And he even flew with Jimmy Doolittle at the Bendix and Thompson trophy races.

There must be reams of documentation on him given all he has done in aviation. I am sure one of the historians on here can fill us in on it all.

[ktst97]

I thought I once read on another forum that TIGHAR had claimed he was with Amelia Earhart when she departed on her last flight.

[Chris Brame]

Maybe Dos Equis should hire him to do beer commercials as their new Most Interesting Man in the World.

[maxum96]

A 7 year old thread about a major b.s.'er gets revived by a troll defending him? It stinks in here and it's getting deep. I'm gonna pull my b.s. boots on.

[Dan K]

A 7 year old thread about a major b.s.'er gets revived by a troll defending him? It stinks in here and it's getting deep. I'm gonna pull my b.s. boots on.

Oh, but it gets better...much better.

Mr. Avedon has commissioned artwork of himself with his official war steed "Old Deadeye", an F4U-4 with what appears to be an impressive string of Japanese victory stencils. You can even purchase your own print for only $28!

http://www.ag26.org/Aircraft-Print-Page ... rsair.html


The commissioned artist, Mike Lynch, even reports that Mr. Avedon flew combat during the Marianas Turkey Shoot.

http://www.ag26.org/Pages/Aircraft-Prints.html

[ZRX61]

Seems he won the war almost by himself..

[TOM WALSH]

I'm disappointed that he isn't claiming RCAF lineage!

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.

[Russ Blow]

Found this article talking about him in the NROTC at UCLA between 42 and 44. So I guess in between winning the war he was also doubling up going to college as well. Must have been during the time he also played football and baseball at UCLA.

Impressive guy!

http://plone.sscnet.ucla.edu:8080/nrotc ... er/part-vi

[Dan K]

...Must have been during the time he also played football and baseball at UCLA...

He was a busy little Bruin in '44...starting pitcher for the conference champs! Team pic on page 7.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ucl ... 96-120.pdf

[b25driver]

There is NO record of him ever attending the USN Test Pilot School. I suspect the rest of his story is just as fictional as his time at USN TPS.
According to the FAA, his pilot certificate was issued in 1963.

[CoastieJohn]

I wonder what causes someone to make these type of claims? WWII version of PTSD??