Einar Mickelson was born in York, North Dakota, in 1915 and died in China in 1944 at the age of 29. In between, Mickelson lived a life of adventure.
The son of Norwegian immigrants, Einar moved often—from York to Rawson, North Dakota, then to Minnesota, where he graduated from Henning High School. He graduated from North Dakota State University in 1940 and immediately went to flight school for fighter-pilot training.
With war raging between Japan and China, Mickelson joined the American Volunteer Group in mid-1941, a group of pilots famously known as the “Flying Tigers.” He went to help China get war supplies from Burma, protecting the vital Burma Road from Japanese bomber attacks.
On this date in 1942, the Los Angeles Times shared a story about Lieutenant Mickelson’s run-in with fame in Kunming, China.
Returning from a mission, Mickelson and fellow pilot Lieutenant Ed Leibolt got into a vehicle to ferry themselves from the runway to the airport control tower. As they drove, they encountered a passenger plane, parked along the runway. A group of passengers stood there waiting for repairs. Among them were two European men, two Chinese men, and two beautiful Chinese women.
Lieutenant Leibolt asked, “Any of you want a ride up to the pavilion?” One man replied, “Yes, my name is [Archibald] Clark Kerr, British Ambassador.”
The Americans were surprised, but the ambassador and four others quickly got into the vehicle, leaving just one man standing alone. Mickelson asked, “Shall we take him too?” Leibolt replied, “No room.”
So, Mickelson escorted the prettiest woman on a tour of the airport. She was a slender beauty who always wore a body-hugging gown. The Americans then suggested going out for tea with the two women. However, a Chinese military officer stepped in, asking “Madame” what was happening. Mickelson was embarrassed, realizing "Madame" referred to a married woman. He wished he could have crawled under a carpet. Luckily, Madame Chiang Kai-shek said, “Lieutenant Mickelson and Lieutenant Leibolt have taken splendid care of us.”
The pilots sheepishly drove everyone back to the plane, where they found the man they had left behind: none other than China’s wartime leader, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, who graciously forgave Mickelson’s mistake.
After Japan closed the Burma Road in April 1942, Mickelson piloted supply planes over the Himalayas, flying from India to China. Tragically, in 1944, a storm crashed his plane into a desolate mountainside, and Mickelson perished.
Dakota Datebook written by Steve Hoffbeck, retired MSUM History Professor
