Howard Kemper
U.S. Army Air Corps

Interviewed by: Jake Ludeman
Adult Secretary: Gary Swanson

I went to Jefferson Barracks south of St. Louis for basic training and was trained in the fundamentals of flying a plane.  I was a pilot at 19 and a trainer at 20!  I was a second lieutenant and it was my job to train students on how to fly an airplane (called the "Texan")  in the last phase of their pilot training . You asked me what some of the most memorable things that I remember about my training days.  I remember getting airsick from the first "spin" and I wondered if I wanted to continue flying.  I also remember thinking about what a short time schedule we had to learn how to fly and to survive.   I remember also how sad I was when friends of mine were eliminated from the program.

How much did I make?  I remember starting at $21.00 a month and I sent $10.00 home to my wife.  By the end of the war I made $250.00 a month and got $125.00 "fly pay".  That was a lot more than I started with! My happiest recollections of that time of my life included graduating from pilot training and being commissioned as a second lieutenant .  My mother and my wife were at my graduation.

I was chosen from 250 fighter pilots as one of twelve pilots that got to fly the first jet powered plane.  There was an article in the paper about that flight! (SEE ARTICLE BELOW) That was really exciting. You asked me if I was ever afraid.  My biggest fear was to be in a plane and have the engine fail and have to parachute out or crash-land.  On September 1, 1944 I was flying a plane when the engine failed and I had to crash land in the desert near Victorville, California.  The Red Cross had notified me that morning that my son had been born that day so I was glad that I survived the crash!

My days after the war were filled with sadness. My young wife died in November 1945 after being diagnosed with terminal tuberculosis.  I came home to bury my wife and take care of my 14 month old son.  Things in my home town had changed and I had changed too.   I remember not being able to fit into my civilian clothes and it was hard to find replacements.  I didn't have a car and it was hard to find a used one and there were no new cars available. I went back to Hallmark Cards where I worked before the war, but I had a different job there.  Times had really changed.

There are many things that my war experience taught me.  I learned how to get along with all kinds of people.  I learned to be honest and have integrity.  I learned how important it is to take care of your self and be in good physical condition. I learned always to be proud of our country and our government.

After the war I returned to my job at Hallmark cards and was sent to Parsons, Kansas to open a plant that sent boxed Christmas cards around the world.  A wonderful thing happened in Parsons -- I met my wife Lucille and we were married in 1948.  I moved back to Kansas City and eventually ended up in Northolt, England opening another manufacturing plant for Hallmark.  In 1962 I returned to Kansas City where I worked for Hallmark until 1984.  I retired having worked for Hallmark for 43 years!  We were blessed with two more daughters, who joined our son to complete our family.

Permission Granted for Use by Howard Kemper © 2001
Transcribed by: Nancy Bosch