Daniel Forbes
Encyclopedia
Daniel Hugh Forbes, Jr. was an American
aviator
.
, Osage County
, the only child of Daniel Sr., and Hattie Forbes of Topeka, Kansas
. He married the former Hazel Moog of Defiance, Ohio
, having graduated North High School in Wichita, Kansas
.
Later, he attended Wichita University (now Wichita State University
) and Kansas State College, in Manhattan, Kansas
(now Kansas State University
)
He joined the United States Army
on June 5, 1941, as an Aviation Cadet
.
He became one of the pioneers of strategic photo-reconnaissance
flying combat missions from bases in North Africa
and India
piloting the B-17, B-24, and several other aircraft. He continued the photo-reconnaissance missions in the Pacific theater
flying the B-29 airframe (re-designated F-13) and continued through the Bikini Atoll
atomic bomb
tests.
Forbes was killed on June 5, 1948, when the Northrop YB-49
"Flying Wing" he was piloting crashed north of Muroc Air Force Base. All five crew-members were lost.
Topeka Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas
was renamed and dedicated as Forbes Air Force Base
on July 13, 1949 in honor of Major
Daniel Forbes, Jr.
Major Forbes is buried in the Overbrook, Kansas
cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
.
Biography
Born in Carbondale, KansasCarbondale, Kansas
Carbondale is a city in Osage County, Kansas, United States. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,478 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Osage County
Osage County, Kansas
Osage County is a county located in east-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 16295. Its county seat is Lyndon, and its most populous city is Osage City. The county along with Shawnee, Jackson, Jefferson, and Wabaunsee counties is...
, the only child of Daniel Sr., and Hattie Forbes of Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. He married the former Hazel Moog of Defiance, Ohio
Defiance, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,562.4 people per square mile . There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile...
, having graduated North High School in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
.
Later, he attended Wichita University (now Wichita State University
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
) and Kansas State College, in Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
(now Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
)
He joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
on June 5, 1941, as an Aviation Cadet
Flight Cadet
A flight cadet is a military or civilian occupational title that is held by someone who is in training to operate an airplane. The trainee does not need to become a pilot, as flight cadets may also learn to serve as a co-pilot, navigator, or flight engineer....
.
He became one of the pioneers of strategic photo-reconnaissance
IMINT
Imagery Intelligence , is an intelligence gathering discipline which collects information via satellite and aerial photography. As a means of collecting intelligence, IMINT is a subset of intelligence collection management, which, in turn, is a subset of intelligence cycle management...
flying combat missions from bases in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
piloting the B-17, B-24, and several other aircraft. He continued the photo-reconnaissance missions in the Pacific theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
flying the B-29 airframe (re-designated F-13) and continued through the Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
atomic bomb
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
tests.
Forbes was killed on June 5, 1948, when the Northrop YB-49
Northrop YB-49
The Northrop YB-49 was a prototype jet-powered heavy bomber aircraft developed by Northrop shortly after World War II. Intended for service with the U.S. Air Force, the YB-49 featured a flying wing design...
"Flying Wing" he was piloting crashed north of Muroc Air Force Base. All five crew-members were lost.
Topeka Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
was renamed and dedicated as Forbes Air Force Base
Forbes Air Force Base
Forbes Field, previously Forbes Air Force Base, is a joint-use civil-military airport operated by the Topeka Airport Authority located approximately south of Topeka, Kansas....
on July 13, 1949 in honor of Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
Daniel Forbes, Jr.
Major Forbes is buried in the Overbrook, Kansas
Overbrook, Kansas
Overbrook is a city in Osage County, Kansas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 947. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Overbrook is located at...
cemetery.