Edward J. Kobbeman

Lieut. Edward J. Kobbeman, youngest son of Mrs. Emma Kobbeman of Sterling, was born at Tampico, Ill., August 21, 1919. He received his first few years of grade school at Tampico and then attended St. Mary grade school and Community high school of Sterling. In 1936 he moved to Chicago and graduated from Austin high school oin 1937. The following year he went in business in Tampico withhis oldest brother, Francis Kobbeman.

In the fall of 1938 he entered Western Illinois State Teachers' college at Macomb, Ill. which he attended two years. During his school years he was very active in sports, especially basketball and football. During his junior years at Austin, a school of 6.700 students, he won his letter in both football and basketball, playing as a teammate with Bill DeCorevant.In his senior year, he was captain of the basketball team that won the Chicago YMCA championship. At Western he made the football team and won his letters both years.

In the fall of 1941, he worked at the John Deere plant in Moline until January, 1941, when he was accepted as an aviation cadet in the U.S. Army. He entered the service as a private pilot. He received his first training at Kelly Field, his primary training at Wilson & Bonfils flying school, Chickasha, Okla. his basic at Randolph and advanced in Moore Field, where he graduated as a single-engine fighter pilot September 6, 1942.

Lieutenant Kobbeman is now training in Tallahassee, Fla. and flies nothing but single-engine fighters. He declined an offer to be an instructor and expects to see active service soon.