World War II Honoree

Richard L. 'Red' Alderman

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Kitsap County, Washington

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER AS A FIGHTER PILOT AND FIRST LIEUTENANT WITH THE 391ST FIGHTER ‘FOXHUNT’ SQUADRON, 366TH FIGHTER GROUP, NINTH AIR FORCE. FLEW REPUBLIC P-47 ‘THUNDERBOLT’ FIGHTER AIRCRAFT. OPERATED OUT OF AIRFIELD A-70 NEAR LAON, FRANCE AND SHARED A TENT NAMED ‘DUFFY’S TAVERN’ WITH FELLOW PILOTS. ON NOVEMBER 17, 1944, PARTICIPATED IN A GROUND-SUPPORT MISSION FOR THE 4TH INFANTRY ‘IVY’ DIVISION AGAINST THE ENEMY LOCATED IN THE HUERTGEN FOREST, SOUTHEAST OF THE GERMAN CITY OF AACHEN. TOOK OFF THAT MORNING IN MARGINAL FLYING WEATHER IN RAIN AND FOG AND WITH RAGGED CEILINGS AND LOW VISIBILITY. DUE TO THE BAD WEATHER, HE AND HIS WINGMAN WERE SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE SQUADRON, FORCED TO FLY LOW AND WERE CONTINUALLY EXPOSED TO ENEMY ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE. WHILE OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY AGAINST TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE VICINITY OF MERODE CASTLE, NEAR DUREN, GERMANY, FOUGHT AGAINST ELEMENTS OF THE 16TH PANZER REGIMENT. DURING HIS SECOND PASS AGAINST THE ENEMY, WAS SHOT DOWN BY INTENSE 20MM GUN FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOO LOW TO ALLOW AN OPTION TO BAIL OUT AND THE PLANE EXPLODED ON IMPACT, TAKING HIS LIFE. ON THIS SINGLE MISSION, HIS SQUADRON LAUNCHED 16 AIRCRAFT AND LOST 4 AIRCRAFT AND HAD 3 PILOTS KILLED IN ACTION. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL WITH 7 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.