World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Adrian Abraham Walters
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Rexburg, Idaho
Honored By
Sam E. Pennartz
ENLISTED FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD FIELD ARTILLERY BRANCH TO THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 1 APRIL 1941 AT RIGBY, IDAHO. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED VIA AFRICA TO THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATRE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XX BOMBER COMMAND, 58TH BOMB WING, 468TH BOMBARDMENT ('GENERAL BILLY MITCHELL') GROUP, 794TH BOMB SQUADRON, STATIONED AT KHARAGPUR AIRFIELD IN THE BENGAL PROVINCE OF INDIA. AS PART OF OPERATION MATTERHORN TO BOMB JAPAN, HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN RANGE AND LOGISTICALLY STAGED A BOMBING MISSION THROUGH PENGSHAN AIRFIELD (A-7) NEAR CHENGDU, CHINA. ON 7 DECEMBER 1944, HE FLEW IN THE RIGHT SEAT AS A PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'GALLOPIN’ GOOSE' (SERIAL # 42-6390). IT WAS ONE OF 108 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD JAPANESE FORCES AT THE MANCHURIA AIRPLANE MANUFACTURING COMPANY AND AN ADJACENT ARSENAL AT MUKDEN IN SHENYANG, CHINA. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, THE GROUP FORMATION WAS ATTACKED BY A BAND OF KAWASAKI KI-45 'NICK' TWIN-ENGINE FIGHTER PLANES. HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT WAS RAMMED BY ONE OF THE BATTLE DAMAGED JAPANESE PLANES, SHEARING OFF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZERS. HE WAS KILLED DURING THE ENSUING CRASH OF HIS DISABLED BOMBER.