World War II Honoree

Chester F. Obal

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Chicago, Illinois

Honored By

Jerry Penry

RANK: PRIVATE. HE WAS A PASSENGER IN A B-34 ‘VENTURA’ RECONNAISSANCE BOMBER, WHO WAS KILLED OCTOBER 18, 1942 DURING AN ATTEMPTED LANDING AT THE CHADRON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CHADRON, NEBRASKA. A SMALL FORMATION OF THREE BOMBERS HAD ORIGINATED AT THE GEIGER ARMY AIRFIELD, WASHINGTON AND WAS EN-ROUTE TO THE RAPID CITY ARMY AIRFIELD, SOUTH DAKOTA WHEN THE PILOT OF ONE OF THE BOMBERS BECAME DISORIENTED AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT CHADRON. WHILE IN THE GLIDE PATH, IT APPEARED TO THE PILOT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO LOW AND OVER CORRECTED BY INCREASING THE THROTTLES FOR MORE POWER AND PULLED UP. THE BOMBER THEN STALLED OUT, BANKED OVER, CRASHED IN A FIELD, EXPLODING UPON IMPACT, KILLING THE THREE OCCUPANTS, PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS.