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Kenneth H. Dahlberg

Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame
Enshrined 2009

Kenneth Dahlberg was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1917 and grew up in Wisconsin. He was drafted into the Army soon after high school and qualified for pilot training. Ken graduated from pilot training at Luke Army Air Field in Phoenix in 1942 and immediately moved to Yuma Army Air Field where he served as an instructor to pilots from the Chinese Air Force. He was later assigned to combat in the European Theater where he distinguished himself as a fighter pilot flying P-47s and P-51s. Ken was credited with 15 and a half kills while being shot down three times himself. The third time he was shot down, he was taken prisoner by the Germans and spent the remainder of the war as a Prisoner of War.

After the war, Ken founded Dahlberg Electronics, a company that would eventually become well known as the inventor of the Miracle-Ear hearing aid. He has remained prominent in the business world and serves on the boards of several companies and foundations. His business skills also made him a prominent fundraiser for political campaigns including the presidential runs of Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon.

Note:

He became a triple ace in WWII. After the war, he founded Dahlberg Electronics and developed “Miracle-Ear” hearing aid. One of the founders of the Heard Museum in Phoenix.