World War II Honoree

Rufus O. Barkley, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fairchance, Pennsylvania

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. 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 AS 'YELLOW FLIGHT' ELEMENT LEADER IN MARGINAL FLYING WEATHER IN RAIN AND FOG AND WITH RAGGED CEILINGS AND LOW VISIBILITY. DUE TO THE BAD WEATHER, HE WAS FORCED TO FLY LOW AND WAS CONTINUALLY EXPOSED TO ENEMY ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE. WHILE OPERATING AGAINST TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY HE DOVE TO STRAFE A VEHICLE OUTSIDE A CHATEAU AND WAS HIT AND SHOT DOWN. 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. HIS REMAINS WERE NOT RECOVERED UNTIL 1946. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.