Athanasios Sougas was born in Trikala on December 27, 1919 in Trikala Greece and emmigrated to America at a relatively old age, like Spiros Pisanos. On August 23, 1928 he left for the USA from the port of Piraeus, along with the his father Constantine, his mother Maria and her 10-year-old sister Stella and crossed the Atlantic. After a long journey of about two weeks, they finally arrived in New York on 9 September, 1928 with the SS Edison.
The family settled in Kalamazoo, Mitchigan were Costantine lived, because he had immigrated 8 years earlier in order to work and be able to get his family also. Athanasios changed his name to Arthur and he was a very talented person who was passionate about aviation. After high school he went to Western Michigan College were he entered the CPTP (Civilian Pilot Training Program).
When the war broke out he enlisted to the USAAF and he trained as a fighter pilot. He gained his wing and promoted to 2nd Lt (O-660213). Like Harry Coronios he was also posted to the 56th Fighter Group in Bradley field although he was attach to the 63rdFS. When the Group transfered overseas he flew missions over Europe, providing cover for the 8th AF heavy bombers.Arthur, ever the musician and a fan of the big hand music of the day, named his Thunderbolt, a P-47C-5RE, 41-6372, UN-S, 'Elmer's Time', after a popular Glenn Miller number. This is probably how he got the nickname 'Elmer.' He wrote to his sister that he "loved his plane as if it were a part of him".
Arthur lost in his final mission of his tour of duty. Although he could fly a milkrun he choose to fly in the August 17, 1943 missions were the 8th Air Force attacked the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt and the Messerschmitt factories at Regensburg. Things went badly for the Americans who suffered heavy losses from the Luftwaffe fighters. 60 out of 376 bombers, 3 P-47s and 2 Spitfires were lost, mostly due to the Luftwaffe which threw into battle about everything she had, losing about 30 fighters herself. Arthur Sugas P-47 was possibly hit above Rullen in Voeren, by the German experten Hauptmann Joannes Naumann (he survived the war with 34 kills in the western front), of 6./JG 26.
His aircraft came circling down, nearly missed the church tower and crashed into a field. Some say that he wanted to spare the church and village, according to others he was already deceased at that stage. He passed away at the age of 23 and was buried the next day at the General Cemetery at the Tongerseweg.
The family settled in Kalamazoo, Mitchigan were Costantine lived, because he had immigrated 8 years earlier in order to work and be able to get his family also. Athanasios changed his name to Arthur and he was a very talented person who was passionate about aviation. After high school he went to Western Michigan College were he entered the CPTP (Civilian Pilot Training Program).
When the war broke out he enlisted to the USAAF and he trained as a fighter pilot. He gained his wing and promoted to 2nd Lt (O-660213). Like Harry Coronios he was also posted to the 56th Fighter Group in Bradley field although he was attach to the 63rdFS. When the Group transfered overseas he flew missions over Europe, providing cover for the 8th AF heavy bombers.Arthur, ever the musician and a fan of the big hand music of the day, named his Thunderbolt, a P-47C-5RE, 41-6372, UN-S, 'Elmer's Time', after a popular Glenn Miller number. This is probably how he got the nickname 'Elmer.' He wrote to his sister that he "loved his plane as if it were a part of him".
Arthur lost in his final mission of his tour of duty. Although he could fly a milkrun he choose to fly in the August 17, 1943 missions were the 8th Air Force attacked the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt and the Messerschmitt factories at Regensburg. Things went badly for the Americans who suffered heavy losses from the Luftwaffe fighters. 60 out of 376 bombers, 3 P-47s and 2 Spitfires were lost, mostly due to the Luftwaffe which threw into battle about everything she had, losing about 30 fighters herself. Arthur Sugas P-47 was possibly hit above Rullen in Voeren, by the German experten Hauptmann Joannes Naumann (he survived the war with 34 kills in the western front), of 6./JG 26.
His aircraft came circling down, nearly missed the church tower and crashed into a field. Some say that he wanted to spare the church and village, according to others he was already deceased at that stage. He passed away at the age of 23 and was buried the next day at the General Cemetery at the Tongerseweg.
Athanasios Sougas was born in Trikala on December 27, 1919 in Trikala Greece and emmigrated to America at a relatively old age, like Spiros Pisanos. On August 23, 1928 he left for the USA from the port of Piraeus, along with the his father Constantine, his mother Maria and her 10-year-old sister Stella and crossed the Atlantic. After a long journey of about two weeks, they finally arrived in New York on 9 September, 1928 with the SS Edison.
The family settled in Kalamazoo, Mitchigan were Costantine lived, because he had immigrated 8 years earlier in order to work and be able to get his family also. Athanasios changed his name to Arthur and he was a very talented person who was passionate about aviation. After high school he went to Western Michigan College were he entered the CPTP (Civilian Pilot Training Program).
When the war broke out he enlisted to the USAAF and he trained as a fighter pilot. He gained his wing and promoted to 2nd Lt (O-660213). Like Harry Coronios he was also posted to the 56th Fighter Group in Bradley field although he was attach to the 63rdFS. When the Group transfered overseas he flew missions over Europe, providing cover for the 8th AF heavy bombers.Arthur, ever the musician and a fan of the big hand music of the day, named his Thunderbolt, a P-47C-5RE, 41-6372, UN-S, 'Elmer's Time', after a popular Glenn Miller number. This is probably how he got the nickname 'Elmer.' He wrote to his sister that he "loved his plane as if it were a part of him".
Arthur lost in his final mission of his tour of duty. Although he could fly a milkrun he choose to fly in the August 17, 1943 missions were the 8th Air Force attacked the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt and the Messerschmitt factories at Regensburg. Things went badly for the Americans who suffered heavy losses from the Luftwaffe fighters. 60 out of 376 bombers, 3 P-47s and 2 Spitfires were lost, mostly due to the Luftwaffe which threw into battle about everything she had, losing about 30 fighters herself. Arthur Sugas P-47 was possibly hit above Rullen in Voeren, by the German experten Hauptmann Joannes Naumann (he survived the war with 34 kills in the western front), of 6./JG 26.
His aircraft came circling down, nearly missed the church tower and crashed into a field. Some say that he wanted to spare the church and village, according to others he was already deceased at that stage. He passed away at the age of 23 and was buried the next day at the General Cemetery at the Tongerseweg.
The family settled in Kalamazoo, Mitchigan were Costantine lived, because he had immigrated 8 years earlier in order to work and be able to get his family also. Athanasios changed his name to Arthur and he was a very talented person who was passionate about aviation. After high school he went to Western Michigan College were he entered the CPTP (Civilian Pilot Training Program).
When the war broke out he enlisted to the USAAF and he trained as a fighter pilot. He gained his wing and promoted to 2nd Lt (O-660213). Like Harry Coronios he was also posted to the 56th Fighter Group in Bradley field although he was attach to the 63rdFS. When the Group transfered overseas he flew missions over Europe, providing cover for the 8th AF heavy bombers.Arthur, ever the musician and a fan of the big hand music of the day, named his Thunderbolt, a P-47C-5RE, 41-6372, UN-S, 'Elmer's Time', after a popular Glenn Miller number. This is probably how he got the nickname 'Elmer.' He wrote to his sister that he "loved his plane as if it were a part of him".
Arthur lost in his final mission of his tour of duty. Although he could fly a milkrun he choose to fly in the August 17, 1943 missions were the 8th Air Force attacked the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt and the Messerschmitt factories at Regensburg. Things went badly for the Americans who suffered heavy losses from the Luftwaffe fighters. 60 out of 376 bombers, 3 P-47s and 2 Spitfires were lost, mostly due to the Luftwaffe which threw into battle about everything she had, losing about 30 fighters herself. Arthur Sugas P-47 was possibly hit above Rullen in Voeren, by the German experten Hauptmann Joannes Naumann (he survived the war with 34 kills in the western front), of 6./JG 26.
His aircraft came circling down, nearly missed the church tower and crashed into a field. Some say that he wanted to spare the church and village, according to others he was already deceased at that stage. He passed away at the age of 23 and was buried the next day at the General Cemetery at the Tongerseweg.
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MICHIGAN - 1ST LUEUT - 63 AAF FIGHTER 50 - WORLD WAR II
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