Major Carpenter was born 14 May 1917 in Townville, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Oil City, where he graduated from high school in 1935. he attended Grove City College, meanwhile taking flight instruction under the Civilian Pilot Training Program.
George enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in March 1941. He unfortunately washed-out when he fainted after being given a tetanus shot. He then contacted the Clayton-Knight Committee and subsequently joined the RCAF. Upon completion of his training in California he was sent to England, where he flew Spitfires in No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron in June 1942.
In September 1942 he transferred to the U.S. 4th Fighter Group, 335th Squadron, where they began flying P-47 Thunderbolts in early 1943. His first victory took place in February 1944, followed by four more in March to make him an "Ace". By the end of April he added 8 1/3 more destroyed. Unfortunately, the last two of those were on 18 April, when he paid the price of himself being shot down near Stendel, Germany. He became a POW in Stalag Luft III and later Mooseburg, near Munich. He was liberated in May 1945 and immediately returned to England, where he married his girlfriend before returning to the States.
He was the Commanding Officer of the 335th Squadron from February until his capture by the Germans and had destroyed 17.3 enemy aircraft. He had flown 143 missions and 257 combat hours in Spitfires, P-47s, and P-51s. He had earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with five Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the POW Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation Medal.

When the war ended, he left the military service and attended Kirksville College of Osteopathy, graduating in 1956. He practiced medicine in Tennessee until his death in 2005.
He was proud of his time in the Air Force, and at a gathering of 4th Fighter Group retirees at Seymour Johnson Air Base shortly before his death, he was proud to show up wearing his wartime "Pinks and Greens", which still fit.

Service

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Townville, PA 16360, USA	14 May 1917
Born - 14th May 1917
Lived in	Oil City, PA, USA	44
Crashed	Nauen, Germany	18 April 1944
Last seen shortly after engaging two ME-109’s northwest of Nauen, Germany. Crashed near Stendel in P-51 Mustang 42-106675. (MACR 4125).
Prisoner of War (POW)	Stalag Luft III Żagań, Poland	18 April 1944 – May 1945
Prisoner of War (POW) Stalag Luft III.
Died	Paris, TN 38242, USA	2 July 2005
Died - 2nd July 2005