Albert Joe Mickish
MilitaryLt. Albert "AJ" Mickish was a bombardier on the B-24 41-24040, What's Cooking Doc ? - Big Operator, and started out flying on Operation Tidal Wave to Ploesti, Romania. His plane aborted the mission with turbocharger problems and diverted to Cyprus. 1-Aug-943.
Lt. Mickish flew on the B-24D, 41-11761, The Squaw, returning to Fort Worth, Texas, for a war bond tour 1944.
Awards: DFC, AM (5OLC), American Defense and Campaign medals, WWII Victory Medal, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).
His DFC was awarded under an earlier General Order. Jun-43.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18065645 / O-726423
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Soluch Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Perry, OK | 5 October 1917 | Son of Frank and Theresa [Tetyak] Mickish. |
Enlisted |
Oklahoma City, OK | 3 November 1941 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Other Marriage |
Florida | 16 January 1943 | Married Mildred Ruth Newell. |
Other Survived Ploesti, aborted |
Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 | Bombardier B-24 41-24040 ‘What’s Cooking Doc ? - Big Operator’ flew on the 1-Aug-43 Ploesti raid, diverted to Cypress. |
Died |
Denver, CO | 8 February 2007 | 'AJ' Mickish was born Oct. 5, 1917, on a small farm a few miles south of Perry. He died Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007, in Denver, Colo. Mickish had served the city of Edmond and vicinity as a veterinarian for more than 52 years. He graduated from Perry High School and earned a bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma State University in 1941. That same year he entered the Air Force via the ROTC program and became a bombardier, eventually serving under the commanding officer of the 98th Bomb Group, until the Aug. 1, 1943, B-24 attack against the Romanian oil fields and refineries at Ploesti, Romania. Of 178 airplanes that left on the raid, 54 never returned. He was honorably discharged as a captain and took advantage of the GI bill and earned a Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD) degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He established the first “animal hospital” in Edmond in 1950 and became known as “Doc” Mickish. He built the Edmond Animal Clinic in 1953 on the south side of Hwy. 66 (now known as East Second Street, 1/2 mile east of Broadway, just outside of the Edmond city limits. The location is now occupied by the new Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Forensic Center. Mickish is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mildred Mickish; four children; two sisters; three granddaughters, two step-granddaughters, a step-grandson, and two step-great-grandsons. |
Other War Bonds Tour |
Fort Worth, TX, USA | Returned to Fort Worth, TX, USA for war bonds tour with A/C. | |
Based Assigned |
Benina | Assigned to 343BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. | |
Perry, OK 73077, USA |
Revisions
Corrected data in bio section for correct A/C flown on for 1 Aug 1943 Ploesti mission.
Added to awards and bio section, corrected aircraft he served on, which aborted on the Operation Tidal Wave mission.