George Welch | |
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Birth name | George Lewis Schwartz, Jr. |
Born | Wawaset Park, Wilmington, Delaware, US | May 10, 1918
Died | October 12, 1954 Palmdale, California, US | (aged 36)
Buried | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | United States Army Air Corps United States Army Air Forces |
Years of service | 1939–1944 |
Rank | Major |
Unit | 47th Fighter Squadron 36th Fighter Squadron 80th Fighter Squadron |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross (3) Air Medal (2) |
Other work | Test pilot |
George Schwartz Welch (May 10, 1918 – October 12, 1954) was a World War II flying ace, a Medal of Honor nominee, and an experimental aircraft pilot after the war. Welch is best known for having been one of the few United States Army Air Corps fighter pilots able to get airborne to engage Japanese forces in the attack on Pearl Harbor and for his work as a test pilot. Welch resigned from the United States Army Air Forces as a major in 1944, and became a test pilot for North American Aviation.