Aaron “Bo” Jarvis Bowman

1.      Birthplace

·         Honeyville, Utah (@ a railroad train station)

2.      Occupations

·         Holsom bread and Hostess cupcake distributor w/ Uncle Heber

·         Army Air Corp pilot

·         US Army Air Force Fighter Pilot

·         Ranks of Second Lt & Captain /Pilot Trainer

·         Major, Lt. Colonel / Squadron Commander

·         Colonel / Flight Commander

·         Deputy Commander  of F-4 wing in Europe

·         Deputy of Operations of 9^th AF Headquarters (all the AF Bases East of the Mississippi)

3.      Accident

·         During an impromptu road trip to Arizona with a couple buddies ran 1929 Ford sedan (purchased with his brother Garth) off a bridge and into a arroyo, totaling it

4.      Hobbies / Interests

·         Roadtrips / Travel

·         Flying

5.      Dating / Spouse(s)

·         Kathyrn Jeannette Rudich

o   Night before Christmas Eve a buddy and he went into a big ballroom in Fresno

o   “We latched onto  two fair giggling maidens who had just come from an office party.  One was the secretary to the President of the Company.  She was the one that for the next 14 months I hitch hiked over half of California in order to see her on the weekends.”

o   She came to his fighter combat training graduation

o   They were married March 30, 1946 (Just before a transfer to the Phillipines in June)

6.      Favorite Childhood Things

·         Roadtrips

·         Baseball / Winter sports

7.      Schooling

·         Army Air Corp / US Army Air Force:

o   Boot training (Fresno, CA)

o   College Training Detachment (Cedar City, UT)

o    Pre-flight academic & physical (Santa Ana, CA)

o   Flight Training @ Cal Aero Flight Academy (Ontario, CA)

o   Fighter Advanced Training @ Luke Air Force Base, graduating with honors (Phoenix, AZ)

o   Fighter Combat Training, top of the his Class (Santa Maria, CA)

o   Staff and Command School (Montgomery, AL)  

8.      Interesting Fact

·         30 years of flying

·         Flew 35 different aircraft

·          Over 6,000 hours of flight time

·         250 combat missions during 3 combat tours

·         Survived without a scratch five major aircraft accidents

·         Been shot up 3 times, but not down and never had to resort to a parachute

·         Stationed:

                                                              i.       Phillipines, Andrew's AFB, Langyly AFB, N.A.T.O. assignment in Belgium, Randolph AFB San Antonio, Waco AF Headquarters, AFB Montgomery (command school),  George AFB,McConnel AFB, Okinawa, 25 combat missions in Vietnam, Takil Thailand, Hahn Air Base Germany, Shaw AFB South Carolina

·         After 100 missions against Korean police trained newly arriving pilots "Bowman's Little Red Jet School House”

·         As Lt. Colonel and Squadron Commander served a top secret mission to create a small fight force in Japan to fight against the Red Army (Russia)

·         Retired in Austin, Texas

9.      # of Children

·         Kate and “Bo” were unable to have children

10.  Event / Significant Memory

·         “About 1937 an event occurred that had a profound effect on my later life.  Garth and I were hoeing weeds in a sugar beet field on a day when two Army Pursuit airplanes flew low directly over us, dropped down in the Bear River Channel then back across us dipping their wings.  It was beautiful and made a profound impression on me.  Little did I know I was staring right into the face of my destiny.”

·         When asked to join the first Jet Fighter Squadron and train in some of the newest planes he responded:  “Colonel, I appreciate your considering me, but all I’ve done in this damn man’s army is train….The(Korean) war is winding down and I’m set to go in P-38s, so count me out.”