Читать книгу Carroll Shelby: A Collection of My Favorite Racing Photos - Art Evans - Страница 9

“When World War II came along, I joined the Army Air Corps.”

“After training, I got my wings and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1942.”

Shelby is second from the left. I have been unable to identify the others.

“I trained in AT-11s flying over Texas.”

“On December 18, 1944, I married my high-school sweetheart, Jeanne Fields, while I was still in the Air Corps.”

“After flying B-18 bombers, I graduated to B-25s, B-26s, and finally B-29s.”

It was the practice of the Air Corps during World War II to keep the very best pilots in the United States to train others. So Shelby, although he requested it, never went into combat.

Carroll and Jeanne’s first offspring was Sharon Ann, born on September 27, 1944.

Shelby is at the far right. Again, I was unable to identify the others.

“My last assignment was flying B-29s out of Lowry Air Corps Base near Denver, Colorado. After the war ended in 1945, I was mustered out, still a second lieutenant.”

Shelby remembered, “All during 1948 and part of 1949 I worked in the oil fields, putting in a lot of hard labor and getting little pay in return.”

In the meantime, he and Jeanne had their first son, Michael Hall, in 1946.

This snapshot, from Sharon’s collection, is of his chicken ranch.

When Shelby quit the oil business, he went into the chicken business. At first, he did well and made a lot of money. As he remembered, “I started raising 20,000 at a time and really worked at it. But, my second batch suddenly caught a fatal disease (limberneck) and all died within a few days. Overnight, there I was, completely bankrupt and in debt up to my ears.”