Robert Marshall DeHaven (January 13, 1922 – July 10, 2008) was an American

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

in the

49th Fighter Group The 49th Fighter Group was a fighter aircraft unit of the Fifth Air Force that was located in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Activation and training The group was constituted as 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November 194 ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, who was credited with 14 aerial victories. After the war, he briefly worked as an actor before becoming a personal pilot for billionaire

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

Early life

DeHaven was born on 1922 in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

. He graduated from

North Hollywood High School North Hollywood High School (NHHS) is a public high school in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is located in the San Fernando Valley and enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Several neighborhoods, inc ...

in Los Angeles, before attending

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Military career

On April 14, 1942, he enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces, and was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

and awarded his pilot wings at Luke Field in Arizona, on January 4, 1943.

World War II

After the completion of his training in the P-40 Warhawk training in Florida, he was assigned to the 73d Fighter Squadron of the

318th Fighter Group The 318th Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. History The 318th Fighter Group was activated in October 1942 when the remainders of ...

in Hawaii. During this time, American fighter units in the South West Pacific Area were desperately short of qualified pilots and as a result, DeHaven was assigned to the

7th Fighter Squadron The 7th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 1st Operations Group. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Overview The 7th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assign ...

of the

in May 1943. Arriving to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

via Australia, he was stationed at the 49th FG's base at

Dobodura Airfield Girua Airport is an airport serving Popondetta, a city in the Oro (or Northern) province in Papua New Guinea. History Girua Airport is located near Dobodura, to the north-east of the Embi Lakes, north-east of Inonda. To the south is Mt. Laming ...

in New Guinea, where he flew P-40s in combat. On July 14, 1943, DeHaven scored his first aerial victory when he shot down an

Aichi D3A The Aichi D3A Type 99 Carrier Bomber ( Allied reporting name "Val") is a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber. It was the primary dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and was involved in almost all IJN actions, including the at ...

"Val" dive bomber over

Salamaua Salamaua () was a small town situated on the northeastern coastline of Papua New Guinea, in Salamaua Rural LLG, Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland. The c ...

and on October 17, 1943, he shot down a

Nakajima Ki-43 The Nakajima Ki-43 ''Hayabusa'' (, "Peregrine falcon", "Army Type 1 Fighter" ) is a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in World War II. The Allied reporting name was "Oscar", but it was o ...

"Oscar". DeHaven shot down a

Mitsubishi A6M The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was ...

"Zero" and a

Kawasaki Ki-61 The Kawasaki Ki-61 ''Hien'' (飛燕, "flying swallow") is a Japanese World War II fighter aircraft. Used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, it was designated the "Army Type 3 Fighter" (三式戦闘機). Allied intelligence initially b ...

"Tony" on October 27. DeHaven P-38

He became a

on December 10, after he shot down an Oscar near

Alexishafen Madang (old German name: ''Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen'') is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 (in 2005) on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century. Histor ...

, his fifth aerial victory. Two days later, he shot down another Oscar over Alexishafen. In January 1944, he claimed his seventh and eighth aerial victories, after shooting down a Tony and Oscar. The Oscar shot down by DeHaven in January 1944, was flown by Captain Shigeo Nongo, the executive officer of 59th ''Sentai'', who was killed in action. On March 15, he downed another Oscar and he scored his tenth and last aerial victory in the P-40 on May 7, making him and another flying ace of 49th FG Ernest A. Harris, the top aerial victory scorers in the P-40 Warhawk within the

V Fighter Command The V Fighter Command is a disbanded United States Air Force headquarters. It was established as the 2nd Interceptor Command in June 1941, with responsibility for air defense of the northwest United States and training fighter units in its are ...

. In the summer of 1944, the 49th FG converted to

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

s and took part in the Philippines campaign. On October 29, 1944, DeHaven shot down an Oscar over

Biliran Island Biliran, officially the Province of Biliran ( Waray-Waray: ''Probinsya han Biliran''; ceb, Lalawigan sa Biliran; tl, Lalawigan ng Biliran), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII). Biliran is ...

, his first aerial victory in the P-38 and eleventh overall. He scored his final victories in November 1944, when he shot down two Zeros and one

Mitsubishi J2M The Mitsubishi J2M ''Raiden'' (雷電, "Lightning Bolt") is a single-engined land-based fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allied reporting name was "Jack". Design and development The J2M was ...

"Jack" during aerial patrols over

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

. At the end of November, he was sent back to the United States for

shore leave Shore leave is the leave that professional sailors get to spend on dry land. It is also known as "liberty" within the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. During the Age of Sail, shore leave was often abused by the ...

. In 1945, he returned to the 49th FG as group operations officer, serving this position till

V-J Day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...

. During World War II, DeHaven was credited with the destruction of 14 enemy aircraft (10 in P-40 and 4 in P-38) in aerial combat, while flying 272 combat missions. He left active duty in December 1945.

Later life

On 1946, he joined the

United States Air Force Reserves The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...

and

California Air National Guard The California Air National Guard (CA ANG) is one of three components of the California National Guard, a reserve of the United States Air Force, and part of the National Guard of the United States. As militia units, the units in the California ...

, where he worked as an acceptance test pilot for the

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first Jet aircraft, jet fighter aircraft, fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed in 1943 and del ...

. After being spotted by a

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

talent agent, he signed a contract with

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

and starred in minor roles in three films from 1946 to 1947. While in Hollywood, DeHaven met billionaire and founder of

Hughes Aircraft Company The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded on February 14, 1934 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of Hughes Tool Company. The company was known for producing, among other produ ...

, who offered DeHaven a job as his personal pilot and test pilot for Hughes Aircraft Company. He served as an executive and later became director of the flight test division of Hughes Aircraft Company. He retired from the Air Force Reserves on October 1, 1965. He was elected a Fellow in the

Society of Experimental Test Pilots The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is an international organization that seeks to promote air safety and contributes to aeronautical advancement by promoting sound aeronautical design and development; interchanging ideas, thoughts and suggest ...

and also served as president of the

American Fighter Aces Association American Fighter Aces Association is a non-profit organization which recognizes the 1,450 combat American pilots (referred to as Aces) who have had five or more aerial victories in combat. The AFAA is located in Seattle's Museum of Flight. The ex ...

. He completely retired in the 1980s. On September 7, 1951, DeHaven married singer and actress

Connie Haines Connie Haines (born Yvonne Marie Antoinette Jasme; January 20, 1921 – September 22, 2008) was an American singer and actress. Her 200 recordings were frequently up-tempo big band songs with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey orchestras, and Fra ...

, with whom he had a son and a daughter. Haines and DeHaven divorced on February 19, 1962. He later remarried to Diane Kwasniewicz and had another son. DeHaven died on July 10, 2008, at a hospital in Encino after a long illness.

Filmography

Awards and decorations

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:DeHaven, Robert M. 1922 births 2008 deaths Aviators from California Military personnel from California 20th-century American male actors People from San Diego American test pilots United States Air Force colonels United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II United States Air Force reservists American World War II flying aces Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Air Medal Washington and Lee University alumni Businesspeople from San Diego North Hollywood High School alumni