Dad and three of his RAF 'Erks'
Michigan is my native state and the first state in which all counties have been documented. It was during a Lower Peninsula ride several years ago that the concept of Ride Around America came to me with the goal of honoring my fellow veterans of military service.
I'd like to dedicate these presentation pages to my father, Glenn Wyant Wonnacott. In early 1941 Glenn crossed into Canada at Windsor, Ontario, and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was one of over 8,000 Americans to join the fight early. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941, Glenn was already posted to an RCAF combat squadron in England, piloting a Boulton-Paul Defiant. Shortly after Pearl Harbor he was transferred to RAF 121 Squadron, one of the 'Eagle Squadrons' comprised mostly of American volunteers.
In November 1942 he repatriated to the US Navy and finished his World War II service with the US Navy as a LtJG, flying from Opa Locka, Florida.