Duane S. "Pappy" Larson (October 27, 1916 – September 20, 2005) was a brigadier general in the

North Dakota Air National Guard The North Dakota Air National Guard (ND ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of North Dakota, United States. Along with the North Dakota Army National Guard, it is an element of the North Dakota National Guard. As state militia units, the u ...

. He served as a fighter pilot in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and commanded the

178th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 178th Attack Squadron (178 ATKS) is a unit of the North Dakota Air National Guard 119th Wing located at Fargo Air National Guard Base, North Dakota. The 178th is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper. The squadron operates General Atomics MQ-1 Preda ...

of the North Dakota Air National Guard in the 1950s. He is considered the “original” Happy Hooligan which was the moniker of 178th.

Biography

Early life

Pappy Duane Larson was born in Regent, North Dakota and graduated from Regent High School. Larson joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941. Originally he was assigned a truck driver position. After passing the suitability test he entered the Army Air Corps pilot program and did his flight training in

Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. About ...

and P51 training at

Rice, California Rice, formerly named Blythe Junction, is a former town in the Rice Valley and the southern tip of the Mojave Desert, and within unincorporated San Bernardino County, southern California. Although it is still on many maps, the only things remain ...

World War II

As a

P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

fighter pilot and flight commander, Larson flew 68 combat missions in the European Theater during World War II with the 8th Air Force. Flying out of England as part of the

504th Fighter Squadron 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...

of the

339th Fighter Group The 339th Fighter Group was a unit of the United States Air Forces during World War II.Maurer, Maurer (1983). ''Air Force Combat Units Of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . It comprised the 503rd, 504th, and 5 ...

, he escorted B-17 bombers to Berlin, providing cover against German fighters. His nickname was "Swede" during World War II and he earned six

Air Medals The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Post-war military activities

Between 1947 and 1950, Larson helped introduce aerial crop spraying to North Dakota, ran a local airport in

Mott, North Dakota Mott is a city in and the county seat of Hettinger County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 653 at the 2020 census. History Mott was founded in 1904 when territory was opened to settlers. There are conflicting stories of how the c ...

and barnstormed local events, county fairs and air shows, while simultaneously participating with the

Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...

. In 1951, Larson joined the North Dakota Air National Guard and served as the 178th Fighter Interceptor Squadron Commander. He flew the

B-25 The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in e ...

, C-45,

C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...

, T-6, F-51, T-33, F-94 and F-89 for the North Dakota Air National Guard and was the squadron commander during the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...

when the 178th was activated to regular duty. Larson was the first Air National Guard pilot to score a direct air-to-air hit on a drone. Larson rose to the rank of brigadier general by the time he retired from the Air National Guard in 1969 as Commander of the

119th Wing The 119th Wing (119 WG) is a composite unit of the North Dakota Air National Guard, stationed at Fargo Air National Guard Base, North Dakota. If activated to federal service, elements of the Wing are gained by the United States Air Force Air Comb ...

Post-military

Legacy

There was a cartoon during the 1950s called ''Pappy Easter and his Happy Hooligans'' and the 178th Fighter Squadron began calling themselves the “Happy Hooligans” and Larson, as their commander, became “Pappy” as the senior pilot. It became Pappy Larson and his Happy Hooligans and this nickname has been adopted by the entire unit and still exists. In recognition of his contributions to aviation in North Dakota, Larson was among the ten inaugural inductees into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame in March 1997.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Larson Duane S. 1916 births 2005 deaths People from Hettinger County, North Dakota United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) United States Air Force generals