biography
| name: |
Towers, John (Henry)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1885–1955)
|
| biography:
| US naval aviator, born in Rome, Georgia, USA. A Naval Academy graduate (1906), in 1911 he became the third naval officer to qualify as a pilot. In May 1919, forced down off the Azores while attempting a transatlantic flight in the seaplane NC-3, he rigged a sail and made port after a two-day voyage. After commanding the carriers Langley and Saratoga he became chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics in 1939. He served in senior staff positions during World War 2, and finally saw sea duty in 1945 as commander of the Second Carrier Task Force. He commanded the Pacific Fleet before retiring from the service (1947), and served as a vice-president of Pan American World Airways (1949–53). |
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