When Fred W. Pool visited the DeSoto County Historical Society’s Howard and Velma Melton Historical Research Library, he saw a photograph of a cadet climbing into an airplane. He said, “That’s me!”

The photograph was taken on the occasion of the half-million flight hour at Carlstrom Field. It was published on the front page of January 15, 1945 issue of the “Embry-Riddle Fly Paper,” the weekly newspaper published at the Field.