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Ralph Cheli (pronounced "Kelly" ; October 29, 1919—March 6, 1944) was a major in the United States Army Air Forces and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He served as the commanding officer of the 405th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) in the Fifth Air Force's 38th Bombardment Group, based at Durand Airfield, Port Moresby, New Guinea. On August 18, 1943, while leading his group of B-25 Mitchells on a low level attack of two Japanese airfields, his bomber was severely damaged. Cheli pressed the attack despite the battle damage, then crash-landed his bomber at sea. He was made a prisoner-of-war and on March 6, 1944, was executed by his captors. During the period when his status was unknown, Cheli was nominated for the Medal of Honor, which he was awarded in October 1943. ==Biography== Born in San Francisco to Alfred and Julia Cheli, he attended Lehigh University as member of the class of 1941. In February 1940, during his junior year, he left Lehigh to enlist in the USAAF as an aviation cadet. He undertook primary flying training at Tulsa, Oklahoma; basic flight training at Randolph Field, Texas; and multi-engine advanced training at Kelly Field, Texas.〔 After commissioning as a second lieutenant in November, Cheli was assigned as a B-17 Flying Fortress co-pilot in the 21st Reconnaissance Squadron, operating from Miami, Florida, under the 3rd Bombardment Wing of General Headquarters Air Force. After attending the Chemical Warfare School at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, he rejoined the 21st RS at MacDill Field, Florida, where it had been attached to the 29th Bomb Group. When the United States entered World War II, Cheli was promoted to 1st lieutenant in February 1942 and flew anti-submarine patrols in the Caribbean Sea as a B-17 pilot with the 43rd Bomb Squadron (29th BG). Cheli advanced to captain in June 1942 and was transferred to the 38th Bomb Group at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, where he was assigned as Operations Officer of the 405th Bomb Squadron "Green Dragons". In August Cheli led a flight of B-25s from Hamilton Field, California, to Australia in the first air movement of B-25s to the Southwest Pacific war zone. Two months later, the 38th moved forward to Port Moresby, where Cheli was assigned command of the 405th BS after the death of its previous commander on January 5, 1943. He was promoted to major in March.〔 On March 3, 1943, during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, Cheli led the 405th Bomb Squadron in the first daylight "masthead" (low level) attack against a Japanese shipping convoy, one of the first skip bombing raids. In all he flew 39 combat missions and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ralph Cheli」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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