World War II Honoree

Frank E. Waddell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Hindman, Kentucky

Honored By

Jerry Penry

RANK: CORPORAL. SERVED AS B-17F ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER FLIGHT ENGINEER, WHO WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SIOUX CITY, IOWA ARMY AIR FIELD. HE DIED JULY 12, 1944 WHEN HIS BOMBER SUFFERED A MID-AIR COLLISION WITH A P-47 FIGHTER NEAR DAYKIN, NEBRASKA. THE FIGHTER PILOT WAS SIMULATING AN AERIAL GUNNERY ATTACK ON A FORMATION OF B-17’S, WHEN HE MISCALCULATED THE DISTANCE OF HIS TARGET BEFORE BREAKING-OFF AND COLLIDED WITH ONE OF THE BOMBERS. AFTER IMPACT, THE FIGHTER SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL AND DOVE INTO THE GROUND, FATALLY INJURING THE PILOT, WHO WAS ASSIGNED TO THE BRUNING, NEBRASKA ARMY AIR FIELD. THE BOMBER DISINTEGRATED AFTER THE COLLISION, WITH THREE CREWMEMBERS PARACHUTING TO SAFETY AND SEVEN WERE FATALLY INJURED.