I'm doing some research on the 413th FG in the second world war and found a photo of a particular pilot.  I tried to trace it to his family on ancestry.com so I could ask them if they had any info about him and share the photo with them.  They are looking into it but they did find a note about his discharge that says he was a T-Sgt, not an officer.  However, the fighter group had a number of non college educated pilots and they were referred to as either FO's or Lts.  From what I have read enlisted men /Sgts that were trained as pilots before 1943 due to shortages in manpower were usually made officers but afterward 1943 new enlisted pilot recruits were made FO's.   In most cases it seems that these guys would get "officer" ranks or status within the squadron of 2nd Lt.  I don't know if it was temporary and if it was just within the squadron's paperwork while they were serving.  Does anyone here know what their discharge papers said when they left the service in 1945?  The guy's grave stone from  1996 says he was a T-Sgt and had the distinguished flying cross so I think I have the right guy but we are still not sure.

link

eta Bob Hoover and Chuck Yeager were flying sergeants before being promoted to officers.

Yes.  I saw that one.  Interesting stuff.  I'm guessing that they were still technically sergeants to the Army so that would explain why his discharge papers say T-Sgt and not lieutenant ....that is if I have the right guy but I think I do.

According to what I've read, the enlisted pilots were all supposed to be eventually commissioned.

It would not have been a "squadron only" thing.

There might be several possibilities for his being a TSgt on his gravestone.

1) The commission might not have caught up with him and he slipped through the cracks of the system.

2)  He might have preferred to be known by his enlisted rank, and did not want to be known as a 2Lt.

3)  The enlisted discharge might have been the only paperwork his family could find when it came time for burial.  He would have gotten discharge papers from his enlistment in order to be commissioned, and these might have been the ones submitted.

My wood shop teacher was an enlisted B/N on an A-6 during Vietnam. If you were in the navy in the early 90's you may have herd of him.
Duane R Bushy, MCPON-7

My father was a Warrant Officer during WW II but retired a SMSGT.

His commanding officer was later made a TSGT.

To many chiefs and not  enough Indians after the war.

Not sure about pilots, but many battlefield commissions were revoked after they were no longer needed.