On April 7th, 1896. Elmer Daniel Perrin was born in Boerne; Texas located about 15 miles NW of San Antonio. His father John Perrin and Mother Willie Fannie Harper Perrin raised Elmer and his 8 brothers and sisters on a 400-acre family dairy farm. After attending the local lower grade schools, Elmer was sent to San Antonio to live with relatives until graduation from Main Avenue High School. He briefly attended Texas A&M. On October 27, 1917, he enlisted in the Army as a private. He served in the 165th Depot Brigade in the Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps, and later serving with the 49th Company, 13th Training Battalion until July 4, 1918. At that time the United States Army Signal Corps was the branch of service active in the development of aircraft in the military.

On July 5, 1918, he was appointed 2nd Lt. in the Army Air Service. He married; Bessie King, October 1922. Though not the oldest of the siblings, he was named family guardian in his father's will in December 1923. As such he became responsible for raising and educating the five minor brothers and sisters whom he kept together as a family until they reached maturity and could support themselves. He devoted his entire life to the development of the Army Air Corps. He was rated as a command pilot and combat observer. His first son John Daniel Perrin, was born on September 16, 1928, while he was stationed in Manila, Philippines. He served his duties around the United States as well as in Texas, which included Commanding Officer, 41st School Squadron and flying instructor for the 43d School Squadron, Kelly Field, and San Antonio. His youngest son, George Elmer Perrin was born on July 15, 1931, while stationed in San Antonio, Texas

In 1939 he was sent to Baltimore Maryland for duty as assistant supervisor for the Eastern Air Corps procurement district. He was the Air Corps representative at the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Company. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in March of 1941. The B-26 Marauder twin-engine Medium Bomber had just been accepted by the Army Air Corps from the Martin Company. On June 21, 1941, during the development and testing for acceptance of the B-26 he and A. J. Bowman, a civilian inspector, took off from the Glenn L. Martin field in a new B-26. After take off the bomber went into a dive at about 500 feet for no apparent reason and crashed a mile from the Martin Airport, killing both men. The Glenn L. Martin Co. investigation determined the crash was the result of sabotage. He was survived by his wife Bessie June (King) Perrin of Borne and two sons John Daniel and George Elmer. The airfield known as Grayson Flying School was officially dedicated as Perrin field with the first graduating class on February 23rd 1942. Lt. Col. Elmer D. Perrin was promoted to Colonel posthumously shortly after his death. Bessie King Perrin Died Dec.23, 1983, she is buried in San Antonio. TX.

Col. Perrin in cockpit of B-26

B-26 Invader

Lt. Daniel Perrin (cener) at at Glenn Martin Aircraft
Company, in Baltimore, Maryland in 1941, just before
he was killed in a crash test flying a B-26

More Photos of Col. Perrin's Career