Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Base
Ardmore, Oklahoma

"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. If you want to help find relatives of these men, it will be appreciated. Contact me when you have the information, picture or have a question. Thanks in Advance! Time is Fleeting!
email gsimmons

da

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, flight check pilot	Gary, Indiana
		Flight Officer/Lt. Frank M. Dimond, 29, certification flight	Wilmington, California
July 12, 1943@	B-26C (41-34770) Marauder	Captain Sheldon H. Pierce, pilot	Jacksonville, Florida
		Lt. William M. Lester, 26, co-pilot	Safford, Alabama
		Lt. Joseph E. Murphy, bombardier	Waterloo, Iowa
		Cpl. Paul W. Banks	Centerville, Tennessee
		Sgt. Austin M. Foley	Middle Village, New York
		Sgt. William C. Williams	Beaver Meadows, Pennsylvania
		M/Sgt. Estel B. Johnson (WWI Veteran)	Greencastle, Indiana
Nov. 17, 1943<@>	B-17F (42-5270) Flying Fortress	Lt. Leland D. Jewell, 20, co-pilot (Struck by No. 2 propeller at Galveston Army Air Field.)	Stevens, Washington
Dec. 15, 1943@	B-17F (42-5136) Flying Fortress	Lt. Robert W. Smith, 24	Englewood, New Jersey
		Lt. Wendell R. Wheelock, 25, pilot	Baltimore, Maryland
		Lt. Robert E. Ruebsam, 25	Ocean City, New Jersey
		Sgt. James R. Wilson, 25, waist gunner	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, pilot, (Died two weeks later.)	Santa Ana, California
		Lt. Lee R. Woodall Jr, 21, navigator	El Dorado, Arkansas
		Lt. Frank G. Adair, 24, bombardier	Chicago, Illinois
		Pfc. Clair W. Davidson, 29, radio operator	West Lafayette, Indiana
		Pfc. Andrew J. Matthews, 21, radio instructor	Farmington, Missouri
Jan. 16, 1944@	B-17F(42-30761)Flying Fortress	S/Sgt. Elmo A. Hagen, (Gunnery instructor, hit by stray bullet from another aircraft while in formation at Air-to-Air Gunnery Range near Galveston, Texas.)	Kent, Michigan
Apr. 24, 1944@	B-17G(42-102786)Flying Fortress	Lt. Milton Hansberry, 23, instructor pilot at the controls.	Seattle, Washington
		Lt. Charles H. Boyer Jr., 27, pilot	Ft. Worth, Texas
		Lt. Loren Crites, 25, co-pilot (Previously served in Royal Canadian Air Force.)	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, pilot	Middletown, Ohio
		Lt. Robert N. Bulloch, 25, co-pilot	Cedar City, Utah
		Lt. Collins O. Gerstner, 24	Minneapolis, Minnesota
		Lt. Jack L. Rider, 27	Glendale, California
		Captain Oswald L. Bernich, 28, bombardier instructor	Biloxi, Mississippi
		Sgt. Albert F. Franczyk, 20, oxygen instructor	E. Vandergrift, Pennsylvania
		Cpl. Anthony T. Casino, 21	Follansbee, W. Virginia
		Sgt. Ray N. Wise, 20	Texarkana, Arkansas
		Sgt. Leslie C. Hill, 21	Medford, Oregon
		Sgt. John W. Ashba, Jr., 26	Steubenville, Ohio
June 14, 1944@	B-17F(42-29929)Flying Fortress	Sgt. Edward M. Ragsdale, radio operator (Died parachuting near Salina, Kansas.)	Indianapolis, Indiana
Sept. 24, 1944@	B-17G(42-102410)Flying Fortress	Lt. Stanley G. Parsell, 20, navigator (Died parachuting north of Ardmore.)	Angola, Indiana
		Pfc. Melbourne Roy Rieke, 24, top turret gunner (Died parachuting north of Ardmore.)	Burlington, Iowa
		Cpl. Donald Lynn Cooper, 23, engineer (Died parachuting north of Ardmore.)	Los Angeles, California
Mar. 19, 1954@	Fairchild C-119F (51-7993)	Captain Gene T. Coppedge, 32, pilot	Pittsburg, Kansas
		Lt. Roy C. Kemmerling, 26, co-pilot	Pine Grove, Pennsylvania
		Lt. Henry T. Johnson, 33	S. Portland, Maine
		Lt. Richard L. Roloff, 24, navigator	Iselin, New Jersey
		S/Sgt. Ernest V. Crabtree, 31	Hawthorne, California
		A/2C Jon G. Taylor, 18, radio operator	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
		3C Gerald A. Baldassaro, 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, (Died a few days later.)	Dermott, Arkansas

To The Unknown
Who May Have Died Weeks, Months or Years Later From Their Injuries

A Memorial Salute By F-14s

Viewer's Comments-Guest Book

---

Back To Top
Main Page Memory Jogger,1942-46; 1953-59