Walker Ingram
(Maxim)
- Place of birth Lansing, Michigan
- Date of birth 10 March 1921
- Age 25
- Allegiance U.S.A.A.F.
- Rank
- Unit 458th Fighter Squadron
- Total missions 32
- Status Retired
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Details
Platform
Last logged event
Il-2 Sturmovik 1946
Last logged event
Monday, 19 August 1946
(19/04/2024 03:55)
Biography
Walker Matthew Ingram was born on 10 March 1921 in Lansing, Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan from 1939-43 where he earned a bachelor's degree in engineering. During his studies he enrolled in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and joined the U.S. Army Air Forces after graduation. After completing flight training Ingram was assigned to the 458th Fighter Squadron of the 506th Fighter Group, a specialized unit established to escort B-29 bombers to Japan. These Very Long Range (VLR) missions were extremely hazardous and required hours of flight over the open ocean. Arriving on the newly-captured island of Iwo-Jima in May, the 506th participated in combat operations up until the end of the war, earning the nickname of the 'Tokyo Club' for their impressive victories over the Japanese home islands. Ingram flew 32 combat missions during the war including 20 VLR missions in which he claimed 9 solo and 2 shared aerial victories for a total of 10 victory credits. He was also credited with destroying 9 Japanese planes on the ground. The most successful ace of the 506th, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Silver Star. He retired from the Army with the rank of Captain in 1946 and worked as a pilot for American Airlines. He died of natural causes on 18 July 2016 aged 95.