"All Gave Some-Some Gave All"
These men never made it to combat. They died in the process of perfecting their skills as aircraft crewmen and support personnel at the Ardmore Army Air Field and Ardmore Air Force Base. The tragic accidents in which they died changed the lives of their loved ones and close friends forever. These airmen were a vital part of the defense process and gave their all in helping preserve our American freedoms. We dedicate this page to the memory of these men and others who served and trained during both activation periods of the base.
One or more crew members severely injured in crashes at Ardmore may have died weeks or even months later and their names were not available through our information sources. Should this have happened, "To The Unknown" at the bottom of this page is in remembrance of them. If you can contribute information, including pictures, to make this listing complete, please do so.
gsimmons@brightok.net![]()
Date of Crash/Site@ Type Of Aircraft Those Who Died Hometown or Station Mar. 14, 1943@ L-3C "Grasshopper" (43-1501) Flight Officer/Lt. Emil M. Horkavi, 30 Gary, Indiana Flight Officer/Lt. Frank M. Dimond, 29 Wilmington, California July 12, 1943@ B-26C (41-34770) Marauder Captain Sheldon M. Pierce Hometown Not Available Lt. William M. Lester Hometown Not Available Lt. Joseph E. Murphy Hometown Not Available Cpl. Paul W. Banks Hometown Not Available Sgt. Austin M. Foley Hometown Not Available Sgt. William C. Williams Hometown Not Available M/Sgt. Estel B. Johnson (WWI Veteran) Hometown Not Available Dec. 15, 1943@ B-17F (42-5136) Flying Fortress Lt. Robert W. Smith, 24 Englewood, New Jersey Lt. Wendell R. Wheelock, 25 Baltimore, Maryland Lt. Robert E. Ruebsam, 25 Ocean City, New Jersey Sgt. James R. Wilson, 25 Hattiesburg, Mississippi Sgt. Charles E. Freeman, 21 Caddo, Texas FO/Lt. Gaetano Marchese, 20 Lawrence, Massachusetts Sgt. Daniel D. Cote, 29 Chicago, Illinois Lt. George A. Hileman, 20 Washington, DC Lt. Henry A. Post, 22 Fulton, Illinois S/Sgt. Marion K. Himebaugh, 27 Bronson, Michigan Sgt. Willie Glaze, 21 Adger, Alabama Pvt. Deeb A. Jabaly, Jr., 22 Daytona Beach, Florida Nov. 4, 1943@ B-17F(42-3466)Flying Fortress Lt. Derald C. Holland, 24 Santa Ana, California Lt. Lee R. Woodall Jr., 21 El Dorado, Arkansas Lt. Frank G. Adair, 24 Chicago, Illinois Pfc. Clair W. Davidson, 29 West Lafayette, Indiana Pfc. Andrew J. Matthews, 21 Farmington, Missouri Apr. 24, 1944@ B-17G(42-102786)Flying Fortress Lt. Milton Hansberry, 23 Seattle, Washington Lt. Charles H. Boyer Jr., 27 Ft. Worth, Texas Lt. Loren Crites, 25 Cape Girardeau, Missouri Lt. Edward W. Hamlin, 22 Mason, Michigan Cpl. Andrew L. Lasater, 21 Sikeston, Missouri Pfc. Forrest W. Weissert, 28 South Bend, Indiana Cpl. Victor E. Turner, 23 Waterloo, Iowa Pfc. Billie F. Marrs, 20 Paris, Illinois Pfc. Donald G. Petersen, 18 Lansing, Illinois Pfc. Walter O. Dytman, 18 Elmira, New York Cpl. James C. Demetry, 25 Chicago, Illinois Feb. 12, 1944@ B-17F (42-30481) Flying Fortress Captain William R. Heck, 25 Middletown, Ohio Lt. Robert N. Bulloch, 25 Cedar City, Utah Lt. Collins O. Gerstner, 24 Minneapolis, Minnesota Lt. Jack L. Rider, 27 Glendale, California Captain Oswald L. Bernich, 28 Biloxi, Mississippi Sgt. Albert F. Franczyk, 20 E. Vandegrift, Pennsylvania Cpl. Anthony T. Casino, 21 Follansbee, W. Virginia Sgt. Ray N. Wise, 20 Texarkana, Arkansas Sgt. Leslie C. Hill, 21 Medford, Orgeon Sgt. John W. Ashba, Jr., 26 Steubenville, Ohio Sept. 24, 1944@ B-17G(42-102410)Flying Fortress Lt. Stanley G. Parsell, 20 Angola, Indiana Pfc. Melbourne Roy Rieke, 24 Burlington, Iowa Cpl. Donald Lynn Cooper, 23 Los Angeles, California Mar. 19, 1954@ Fairchild C-119F (51-7993) Captain Gene T. Coppedge, 32 Pittsburg, Kansas Lt. Roy C. Kemmerling, 26 Pine Grove, Pennsylvania Lt. Henry T. Johnson, 33 S. Portland, Maine Lt. Richard L. Roloff, 24 Iselin, New Jersey S/Sgt. Ernest V. Crabtree, 31 Hawthorne, California A/2C Jon G. Taylor, 18 Adrian, Michigan Passengers C-119F Army, AirForce, Navy, Marines Pfc. Frederic R. Junghans, Detachment 3, 440th ASU Ft. Benning, Georgia A/B Wayne R. Snodgrass, 42nd AP Squadron Limestone AFB, Maine A/3C Gerald A. Boldassaro,Jr. Drum and Bugle Corps Bolling AFB, Washington, DC A/2C Paul H. Springer, Drum and Bugle Corps Bolling AFB, Washington, DC A/2C Robert M. Strauss, Drum and Bugle Corps Bolling AFB, Washington, DC A/3C Joseph A. Valente, Drum and Bugle Corps Bolling AFB, Washington, DC Phillip A. Lavers, USN, "USS Sagamore" (ATA-208) Norfolk, Virginia Roy G. Lambertson, USN, "USS Sagamore" (ATA-208) Norfolk, Virginia Sgt. Raymond L. Hahn, Marine Corps MBNB, Norfolk, Virginia YNSN John S. Hubbard, USN, Flt. A/C Service Squadron 102 Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia SN Allen R. Hillar, USN, Flt. A/C Service Squadron 102 Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia AN James D. Robbins, USN, "USS Briareus" (AR-12) Norfolk, Virginia Aug. 3, 1944@ Truck Accident (half-ton) Cpl. Alfred E. Ott, 35 Waucoma, Iowa Pfc. Jess L. Jones, 19 Germantown, Tennessee Pfc. Maleon M. Stanford, 23 Warsaw, N. Carolina Pvt. Archie Nimmer, 25 Dermott, Arkansas
To The Unknown


Copyright © 2000-2008