Military Biography - Ben A. Mason
December 19, 1911
Born in Nashville, Tenn.
1918
Father went to France as 1st Lt., Artillery.
1919 - 1931
Raised on Army (Calvary) Posts in the U.S.
1929
First flight was in a WWI trainer - called a "Standard"- which looked like a Curtiss Jenny and was made of wood and fabric.
1931 - 1932
Two years attending Marion Military Institute, Alabama.
1932 - 1933
Two years in the Texas Air National Guard.
October, 1933 - October, 1934
Flying Cadet at Army Air Corps Flying School, Randolph and Kelly Fields, Texas.
1935
Served a year on active duty as a Rated Flying Cadet.
October, 1935
Received commission as 2nd Lt., Army Air Corps (Reserve).
1936 - 1937
Luke Field, Honolulu, Hawaii.
1938
Received regular commission as 2nd Lt., Army Air Corps.
June 13, 1938
Married Elizabeth Bassett in a military wedding at Randolph Field Chapel, San Antonio, Texas.
1938 - 1941
Instructor, Advanced Flying School, Kelly Field, Texas.
1942
Director of Flying and Gunnery, Moore Field, Texas. Promoted to Lt. Colonel.
1943
Director of Flying, Ellington Field, Texas. One month temporary duty with Ferry Command and flew a P-38 across the south Atlantic to north Africa. Transferred to L.A. Fighter Wing, Los Angeles, California.
Late 1943
Tunis, north Africa (Operations M.A.A.F., HQ).
1944
HQ, M.A.A.F. moved to Cacerta, Italy.
May - October, 1944 - served as Deputy C.O. and C.O. of the 82nd Fighter Group, Foggia, Italy. Among many, flew the June 10, 1944 dive bombing mission on Ploesti. The Group received its 3rd Unit Citation for this mission.
1945
Deputy Base C.O. and Director of Training at P-38 Training Unit, Van Nuys, California. Temporary duty to Command and General Staff School, Ft. Levenworth, Kansas.
1946
March Field, California.
1947 - 1948
Two years in Guam, 20th Air Force HQ, with a short tour as C.O., Iwo Jima.
1949 - 1961
Various assignments with the Continental Air Command.
1961
Retired from the Air Force.
Currently living in Houston, Texas.
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