Born in Birmingham, Alabama May 16, 1911. Received pilot' wings upon graduation from U.S. Navy Flight Academy in 1932. Pioneered polar flying as chief pilot for Admiral Richard E. Byrd and the United States Antarctic Service in 1934. Discovered a unknown polar mountain which was named for his wife. VIP pilot for U.S. Marines during war in the Pacific. His career as a "flying leatherneck" covered more than 30 years. He established and broke a number of aviation records. He also did crop dusting and flew as a stunt pilot at the National Air Races. Colonel Petras retired from the military in 1959.