John F. Bolt
Born to a poor family in Laurens, South Carolina, Bolt was a self-described "workaholic" and was involved in numerous groups and social activities throughout his life.Sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations, he flew an F4U Corsair during the campaigns in the Marshall Islands and New Guinea, claiming six victories against Japanese A6M Zeros.Bolt continued his service through the Korean War, entering combat through an exchange program with the United States Air Force (USAF) in late 1952.Bolt stayed in the Marine Corps until 1962, serving as an analyst and instructor in his later career, before retiring and earning a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida.[4] Bolt attended the University of Florida, majoring in accounting and meeting most of the costs himself using money that he had saved while working through high school.On completion of his basic training in November 1941, he was selected as a pilot, and moved to Naval Air Station Atlanta, Georgia in February 1942.He was placed on active duty just before the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into World War II.Bolt completed this training on 18 July 1942, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, receiving his aviator wings that day as well.[8] Years later, during the Korean War, Bolt had the words "Darling Dottie" stencilled on the side of his North American F-86 Sabre jet as a tribute to his wife.After qualifying to operate carrier-based aircraft, he was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, until June 1943, when he and his class departed for the Pacific Theater aboard the USS Rochambeau.[4] On his way to the front lines, Bolt traveled to a number of islands as the Rochambeau stopped at New Caledonia and New Hebrides to avoid Japanese submarines.Upon arrival at Espiritu Santo, Bolt was placed in a pool of new officers who were intended to replace casualties in several squadrons.His research was conducted by firing rounds into 50-gallon drums partially filled with gasoline and at abandoned aircraft in the Espiritu Santo boneyard.On their way back to Munda one of the aircraft had a mechanical problem, and a group including Bolt had to land at Barakoma Airfield on Vella Lavella.[19] He refueled and took off, against Boyington's orders, and destroyed four enemy barges and strafed several ground concentrations in the vicinity of Tonolei Harbor before returning to Munda.Despite hazy weather and the need to take an indirect route to avoid Japanese radar, Bolt managed to lead the flight to the area where the battle had taken place the day before.The missions, nicknamed "Truck Busters", were very successful, but at the cost of damaged aircraft and wounded crewmen, including Bolt's wingman.While posted to VMF-471, he attended the Aviation Ground Officer's School at Marine Corps Air Station Quantico, Virginia, from November 1944 through February 1945.He saw no combat for the rest of the war, but did manage to break the Corsair endurance record by keeping an aircraft aloft for 14 hours and 9 seconds.[24] Diving in Florida's Tampa Bay on leave, Bolt (then a captain) set a world spearfishing record when he caught an Atlantic goliath grouper weighing hundreds of pounds.Ruddell sent a request to Lieutenant General Glenn O. Barcus, commander of the Fifth United States Air Force, that Bolt's tour with the squadron be extended.[30] On 24 June, he flew his 31st combat mission, during which he engaged a single MiG and shot it down after a quick battle in the vicinity of the Yalu River.He made a head-on dive toward the formation, which was attempting to gain altitude, and downed the leading airplane with four machine gun bursts.[29] Shortly after this final mission, his tour of duty ended and he was rotated back to the United States for an extended rest and vacation, which he spent with his family.A press conference was held in September 1953 to welcome him to the position, and during this he recounted stories from his service in Korea for the first time to local newspapers.On 5 November, after this one-year stint, he was assigned to command VMF-214, his World War II squadron, at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on the Hawaiian Islands.To Frank Walton, who from our early days has not only been our Boswell, our biographer, in creating the Black Sheep legend, but by his own life has been friend, inspiration and role model to all.[8] In May 1993, Bolt attended the 50th reunion of the original "Black Sheep" or the 8th Fighter Squadron in New Orleans, Louisiana, and gave the toast at the beginning of the festivities.(0-13522) Lt Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the united Nations while attached to the First Marine Aircraft Wing and serving as a pilot of a plane in the THIRTY NINTH Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Fifth Air Force, in action against enemy aggressor forces in the Republic of Korea on 11 July 1953.Sighting four hostile jet interceptors immediately after the second section of his four-plane flight was forced to retire from the area because of a low fuel supply during a reconnaissance mission deep in enemy territory.
John Bolt (disambiguation)Laurens, South CarolinaTampa, FloridaSanford, FloridaUnited States Marine CorpsLieutenant colonelService numberVMF-211VMF-471VMF-215VMF-22439th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronVMA-214World War IIMarshall Islands campaignNew Guinea campaignKorean WarMiG AlleyNavy CrossDistinguished Flying CrossAir Medalnaval aviatorflying acefighterworkaholicUniversity of FloridaPacific Theater of OperationsF4U CorsairMarshall IslandsNew GuineaJapaneseA6M ZerosUnited States Air ForceF-86 SabresMiG-15sChinese Air ForceNorth KoreaJuris DoctorFloridareal estate lawleukemiacreameryBoy ScoutsStar ScoutSeminole High Schoolclass presidentaccountingPhi Eta Sigmahonor societyprofessional fraternityAlpha Tau Omegasocial fraternityMarine Corps Reservelaw schoolbasic trainingUS Marine CorpsUS NavyNaval Air Station AtlantaGeorgiaactive dutyattack on Pearl HarborNaval Air Station JacksonvilleSNJ TexanN3N CanaryNaval Air Station MiamiMiami, FloridaGrumman F3Fbiplanecommissionedsecond lieutenantaviator wingsNorth American F-86 SabreGreen Cove Springs, FloridaF4F Wildcatcarrier-based aircraftNaval Air Station GlenviewGlenview, Illinoispaddlewheelaircraft carrierUSS WolverineMarine Corps Air Station MiramarSan Diego, CaliforniaPacific TheaterUSS RochambeauNew CaledoniaNew HebridessubmarinesEspiritu SantosquadronVMF-214Pappy BoyingtonF4U CorsairsRussell IslandsB-24 LiberatorKahili AirfieldBalalae Islandfirst lieutenantdogfightBougainvillepig roasts50-gallon drumsgasolineincendiary roundsarmor-piercingtracer roundBarakoma AirfieldVella LavellaAdmiralWilliam "Bull" Halseyrest and recuperationSydneycaptainRabaulNew BritainSt. George's ChannelairfieldNissan IslandGreen IslandsMarine Corps Air Station Santa BarbaraLong Beach, CaliforniaSan FranciscoOaklandMarine Corps Air Station El ToroMarine Corps Air Station QuanticoVirginiaV-J Day