2nd Greenville Flyer Joins the Caterpillar Club

On Sunday, 19 Jul 1942, Aviation Cadet Eugene R. Bowler became the second Greenville Flyer to join the Caterpillar Club after he successfully bailed out of his BT-13.  Both Cadet Bowler and his BT-13 landed in the Mississippi River at Miller's Bend near Greenville.  With the aid of a cushion from the aircraft, he swam three-quarters of a mile to the river bank.

The Caterpillar Club was formed by Leslie Leroy Irvin as a club to honor "those whose lives had been saved a parachute".  Mr. Irvin made the world's first parachute descent using a parachute via a ripcord and went on to found the Irvin Air Chute Company in Buffalo, NY (present day Airborne Systems).

Cadet Bowler went on to complete pilot training and earned his commission at Columbus Army Flying School, Columbus, MS.  Following training, he became an instructor and spent time at McKellar Field, Jackson, TN.

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Air Cadet Parachute into Mississippi Saved Tue, Jul 21, 1942 – 4 · The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama) · Newspapers.com

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Eugene R Bowler bail out Thu, Jul 13, 1967 – Page 4 · The Delta Democrat-Times (Greenville, Mississippi) · Newspapers.com