Morton C. Blaisdell enlisted in the Army on December 10, 1942, three days after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. In April of 1944, he became an aviation cadet.
Mort was in Tom’s class (44-D) of pilots and after completing initial pilot training, they were roommates in the Transition to Medium Bomber training prior to becoming night fighter pilots.
On January 5, 1945, Tom writes:
“The general here on the base has really been tearing his hair over our not getting in our time. We weren’t schedule to fly New Year’s Eve or N.Y Day, but at the last minute he tried to call everyone back to fly both times, however, after calling every bar and every other place of any reason they gave up. The half dozen fellows that they did corner didn’t have to fly because it really socked in with fog. Mort Blaisdell was really sweating it out because Laurale came down for acouple of days.”
Mort and Laurale married and had two children. After he was discharged from the Army following WWII, he re-enlisted during the Korean war, and served in the Air Force until 1975, when he retired and they moved to Caldwell, Idaho.
Mort died at age 69 in 1994, and Laurale followed in 2012.
From the Idaho Press-Tribune, 21 February, 1994
Lt. Col. Morton C. Blaisdell, USAF Ret.
Lt. Col. Morton C. Blaisdell, USAF Retired, 69, died Friday night, Feb. 18, 1994, at the Caldwell hospital.
Col. Blaisdell was a 33-year career Air Force officer. He had made his home in Caldwell since 1975, following his retirement. He was a flight instructor at the Caldwell Airport for several years. He also volunteered for CCOA, Meals on Wheels, and was an active member of Canyon County Pet Haven.
He is survived by his wife, Laurale; daughters, Janet Wagner of Alamosa, Colorado, and Nancy Jo Davis of Beaumont, Texas; a sister, Susan Allen Carroll of Berkeley, California; and five grandchildren.
It was Col. Blaisdell’s request that there be no funeral services.
If anyone would like to give a memorial, the family suggests it be given to Canyon County Pet Haven, P.O. Box 481, Nampa, ID 83653.