World War II Honoree

Richard C. Daves

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Shady Point, Oklahoma

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 2ND LIEUTENANT. HE WAS A ‘NATIVE AMERICAN’, WHO WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS NOVEMBER 4, 1942 AT LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS AND WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE AVIATION FLIGHT TRAINING PROGRAM. SERVED AS A P-51B ‘MUSTANG’ FIGHTER PILOT ASSIGNED TO THE 358TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 355TH FIGHTER GROUP, U.S. 8TH AIR FORCE ‘MIGHTY EIGHTH’. HIS UNIT WAS BASED AT THE STEEPLE MORDEN ROYAL AIR FORCE AIRFIELD ROYSTON, ENGLAND UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #122. HE WAS KILLED SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1944 WHILE FLYING AS WINGMAN OF A TWO SHIP ELEMENT, ESCORTING 3 VICKERS WARWICK BRITISH AIRCRAFT ON AN AIR-SEA RESCUE MISSION. THE PILOT OF THE LEAD PLANE REPORTED SEEING A FLASH OF FLAMES AND SAW HIS WINGMAN GOING DOWN, CRASHING INTO THE NORTH SEA. REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION AND LOST AT SEA ON THE DAY OF HIS DEATH AND IS MEMORIALIZED AT THE NETHERLANDS AMERICAN CEMETERY LOCATED AT MARGRATEN, NETHERLANDS. DECORATION AND MEDALS: AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART.