bdh

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but just wanted to answer a question. The "Pinky" nickname originated in 1941 or 1942 during his flight training while in Texas or during his time as a flight training instructor in Louisiana (most likely in Louisiana after he'd left basic and advanced flight training at Randolph and Victoria Field) - they'd hit the showers at the end of a day in the field and the water was hotter than a 2 dollar pistol and he came out of the shower looking like a scalded lobster, so they called him "Pinky" - and it stuck. Coincidently, while in Texas/Louisiana is where/when he met Rita Dell - after the war, he returned to Texas to marry her and they moved back to his hometown in Ohio - so at the age of 91, my mother affectionately says, "I married a Yankee and he moved me north". Unfortunately, my dad passed away in 1981 from a heart attack - but for a good portion of his life he was in and around airplanes as he loved to fly. By the way, we never called him Pinky at home - the nickname was one that was pretty much used within his circle of military friends.