459th Fighter Squadron, The Twin Dragons: A History by James M. Fielder
Early in World War II, there were only two P-38 fighter squadrons in the China-Burma-India Theater, the 449th and the 459th. The 449th was in China; the 459th was in southern India assisting with the retaking of Rangoon. The 459th known as the “Twin Dragon Squadron” was an unusual squadron. The P-38 airplane itself stood out among the P-51s, P-40s, Hurricanes, Spitfires, Beaufighters, and Vengeances. For much of its short life, about 25 months of operation, the squadron was under the operational control of the RAF – the 224 Group and the Third Tactical Air Force. Also, the squadron was activated in a combat zone and would never see a day of duty in the continental U.S. The squadron had a total of 149 enemy airplanes destroyed in the air and on the ground (123 were destroyed in 58 combat days). There were 6 aces in the squadron.
James Fielder, a retired Colonel in the United States Air Force describes the activities of this unique squadron in his book, 459th Fighter Squadron, The Twin Dragons. He was transferred to the newly activated squadron in October 1943 and was with the squadron until it was deactivated in November 1945. During that time, the combat missions of the 459th made it famous in the CBI Theater. Mission descriptions, daily activities, rosters, pilot scores, pictures, and personal accounts from members of the squadron are included in his book.
459th Fighter Squadron, The Twin Dragons
Soft Cover
8.5 x 11- 181 pages
$12.00
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About the Author
James Fielder, a retired Colonel in the U.S. Air Force grew up on a small farm in Union County, Arkansas. He was in college at the University of Arkansas when the bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred. He was drafted in 1942 and joined the 385th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (D) at Savannah, Georgia. He and his wife, Wilsilee, also from Union County, Arkansas were married in 1943 several months before his squadron was sent to Assam, India. Later he would join the newly activated 459th Fighter Squadron. Col. Fielder came home with the 459th and was one of the last four people released when the squadron was inactivated on November 5, 1945. He joined the Reserves and then graduated from Louisiana State University. He returned to active duty in 1949 and was sent to Korea.
During his military career, Col. Fielder was stationed in California, Washington D.C (where he earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University), Bitburg, Germany, Scott AFB, Illinois, and Randolph AFB, Texas. He retired in 1969 and then spent twelve years with the Texas Employment Commission in San Antonio, Texas.
Col. Fielder and his wife lived in Universal City, Texas for 30 years and then moved to Boerne, north of San Antonio. They had four children, Ron, Bonnie, Brenda, and Kevin who are all married. James and Wilsilee were married 59 years when he died in 2002 at age 82. They have ten grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. In 1993, Col. Fielder wrote and published his book, 459th Fighter Squadron, The Twin Dragons, relating the story of his WWII squadron whose combat missions were famous in the CBI Theater. 
