Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:30 | After his initial pilot training in the Navy, Frank Troup ended up piloting the Grumman F6F Hellcat. This phase of training was even more dangerous as they were single seat aircraft, and the airspace wasn’t entirely theirs to work in. Frank describes a midair collision that nearly cost him his life.
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Frank Troup was thrust into WWII like many other young men at the time. You could either be conscripted or volunteer for a better assignment with more training. Before long, Frank was flying a series of aircraft, and recalls a mistake during his instrument training.
As quickly as they could, these Navy pilots were hurried to the Pacific Theater where the Japanese were causing damage to a number of US ships and planes. Frank Troup recalls the journey across the country and onto the USS Cabot where one of their first duties was to escort a damaged cruiser out of immediate danger.
The Japanese had a large fleet of fighters to dominate the Pacific air space. Frank Troup describes his experiences against their fighters from when he piloted a Hellcat. He was engaged in so many events that he was able to achieve the status of Navy Ace during the war.
Carrying a 500lb bomb that hadn’t been discharged, Frank Troup was engaged by a Japanese fighter who got the drop on him. His Hellcat was riddled with bullet holes and he was dropping fast.
On a routine combat air patrol, Frank Troup got orders to intercept an enemy plane they had picked up on radar. It was something of a close call, and he recalls watching the enemy pilot’s final moments.
They were always going on bombing missions, and on one occasion Frank Troup and his fellow pilot destroyed a Japanese ship in a quick pass.
