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Colin Kelly

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Military Personnel

The Resume

    (July 11, 1915-December 10, 1941)
    Born in Madison, Florida
    Army Air Corps B-17 bomber pilot during WWII
    On December 10, 1941, he and his crew flew their B-17 Flying Fortress against Japanese naval forces attacking the Philippines
    Despite being under attack while they were taking off, they managed to damage a Japanese cruiser but were shot down on their return to base, killing Kelly and the plane's waist gunner
    Graduate of Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama and West Point
    Received the Distinguished Flying Cross

Why he might be annoying:

    Their attack caused little actual physical damage.
    Much misinformation was associated with the crew's courageous attack, i.e., they sank/damaged a Japanese battleship, they flew the plane into a battleship, there were no survivors, etc.

Why he might not be annoying:

    As their plane was being shot down on their return to base, Kelly kept it in the air until the crew was able to parachute to safety, but it exploded before Kelly was able to escape himself.
    The story of his gallantry was a bright spot in the otherwise bleak early days of WWII.
    A Liberty ship and a high school have been named after him.
    He was the subject of two famous paintings by Robert Taylor.

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 12 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 24 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 14 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 115 Votes: 61.74% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 103 Votes: 60.19% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 24 Votes: 33.33% Annoying