WW II vet Ely counts self fortunate

BY PAT FARNELLI

Jerald Ely, 90 of Dimock, holds photo of himself as World War II Navy aviator

Jerald Ely of Dimock Township may be the eldest World War II veteran in Susquehanna County, but his memories are probably the best.

“I had a great life, in and out of the service, and I was fortunate,” he says, relaxing in his favorite living room chair. He is 90, and is on oxygen, but is still able to involve himself in some activities at home and in the community.

He began his service with the Navy aviation cadet program when he enlisted in September 1942, and he found out that he loved flying, no matter how dangerous the maneuvers.

Because he was a senior in college, he was allowed to remain at Penn State until his December graduation.

He began his training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, which was mainly course work and physical training.

Next, he was sent to Lock Haven, where he learned to fly Piper Cubs.

First, he had to learn how to land inside a 20-foot circle, to prepare for precision landings on aircraft carriers.

Next, his instructor taught him difficult maneuvers, like dives, rolls and spins.

“The instructor sat behind me, and he talked through a hose,” he said. “We never had radios or anything like that, and the hose wouldn’t carry my voice to him, it only worked one way.”

He had to learn to control an airplane while rolling it three and a half turns. He didn’t get sick or dizzy, he loved every minute of it.

“I learned to watch a railroad track or a road and count the times it went by as I rolled,” he said.

Later, he was sent to Corpus Christi, then San Diego, where he repaired planes and aircraft that came back from the Pacific.

Because his major in college was vocational training, he was sent to Washington D.C., to train civilians. A mix-up occurred with his commission, however, and he was sent back for basic training when he was already an ensign. The Navy thought the war was soon to end, and that there were too many pilots, so Ely missed several opportunities to fly.

“The war in Japan lasted longer than we thought it would,” he said. “I did get to fly two years, but I was probably safer in the long run. The Navy kept me where they wanted me to be.”

He did have a few dangerous episodes. Once he was trying to land, and his engine was hanging by one bolt, and the medics and ambulances were gathering on the ground waiting for him to crash. He did manage to land just as the engine stalled and came loose.

Because of the solitary nature of his service, he never really experienced having a close buddy or being part of a unit.

He completed his service in 1944, but remained in the reserves for a long time, and was asked to return for the Korean Conflict, if he wanted to.

“By then, I had two children, and we were building a house, so I didn’t choose to go,” he said.

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