World War II Honoree

Laird Woodruff Hendricks, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Jacksonville, Florida

Honored By

Dave Brewer

HE WAS A GRADUATE OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT, NEW YORK, CLASS OF 1939. HE ATTENDED FLIGHT SCHOOL AS AN AIR CADET, GRADUATED AS A 2ND LIEUTENANT, AND TRAINED AS A FOUR ENGINE BOMBER PILOT. HE BECAME A B-17 FLYING FORTRESS INSTRUCTOR, AND WAS SENT TO ENGLAND TO TRAIN ROYAL AIR FORCE PILOTS. ON JULY 28, 1941, JUST THREE DAYS AFTER HIS ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND, HE WAS KILLED IN A B-17 CRASH. ON JULY 14, 1942, THE FIRST B-17 COMBAT FLYING SCHOOL IN SEBRING, FLORIDA, WAS RENAMED HENDRICKS FIELD IN HIS HONOR.