Born August 3, 1916, Palo Alto, California
Graduated from the Sequoia Union High School, Redwood City, California, June 1932
Enrolled in the University of California, Davis, August 1934
Animal Science Curriculum - Dairy Husbandry
Transferred to the Berkeley Campus, August 1935
Reenrolled on Davis Campus, August 1936
Member Beta Phi (Kappa Sigma) Fraternity Blue and Gold Dairy Club
Graduated May 1937, Bachelor of Science
Military Service
George Harold Aabel died in a plane crash on 21 January 1943, while homeward bound from the Hawaiian Islands flying Navy personnel for the Pan American Airways. The following excerpts from the San Francisco Chronicle depict the tragedy:
Jan. 23. 19 ON BIG PLANE LOST IN BAY GALE. Navy's Hawaiian Air Ferry Long Overdue ....
Ten aboard the transport are Navy officers... Search is started along the coast... There has been no radio contact with the plane since early Thursday morning (Jan. 21) when it circled overhead in the vicinity of San Francisco.
Jan. 24. MISSING TRANSPORT -- Chief of Pacific Sub Fleet in Lost Plane. The news account listed the names of the missing naval personnel, including Rear Admiral English, Commander of the Pacific Submarine Force, and the crew members, including Third Officer, George H. Aabel.
Jan 25. PLANE REPORTED SEEN IN SONOMA. Fire reported on a ridge near Clear Lake ... Search concentrated in the Clear Lake area after a rancher reported seeing a huge transport flying low overhead.
Feb. 1. NAVY PLANE FOUND NEAR UKIAH - 19 DEAD. The fire-scarred wreckage of the giant naval seaplane transport which left Pearl Harbor on an overnight hop to San Francisco was found and identified yesterday in the wild, inaccessible Indian Creek Canyon, 15 miles from Ukiah in Mendocino County. The ten Navy officers and crew of nine were dead. Smashed against a cliff 150 feet from the topmost ridge, the charred transport was found yesterday. The plane was completely destroyed by fire and none of the bodies could be identified.