World War II Honoree

Richard E. Chandler

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Bemidji, Minnesota

Honored By

Traci Cleveland

Relationship

Granddaughter

HE WAS PART OF THE 11TH BOMB GROUP, 26TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON. ON HIS 34TH AND FINAL MISSION, FEBRUARY 10TH, 1945, HE WAS IN THE TAIL-GUNNER POSITION OF THE LEAD PLANE 'ROYAL FLUSH'. THE MISSION'S ASSIGNMENT THAT DAY WAS TO BOMB A JAPANESE AIRFIELD ON HAHA JIMA. APPROACHING THE TARGET FROM THE WEST, THE LEAD PLANE TURNED OFF THE TARGET FOR UNKNOWN REASONS AND FORCED A SHALLOW 180 DEGREE TURN IN ORDER TO APPROACH THE TARGET FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION. THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK TO EXECUTE THIS CHANGE PROVIDED THE JAPANESE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO CALCULATE THEIR ALTITUDE. AS SOON AS THE 'ROYAL FLUSH' WAS OVER THEIR TARGET WITH THE BOMB BAY DOORS OPEN, THE PLANE WAS DIRECTLY HIT BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE IN THE BOMB BAY, CAUSING A HUGE FIRE IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE B-24 NOSED DOWN MOMENTARILY, BUT SOON AFTERWARDS IT COMPLETELY COLLAPSED. THE LEFT WING BROKE OFF AND DISINTEGRATED INTO PIECES BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE SEA. AT SOME POINT AFTER BEING HIT, BUT BEFORE THE PLANE COLLAPSED, HE WAS ABLE TO BAIL OUT. HE WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET HIS CHEST PACK PARACHUTE AROUND ONE SHOULDER, CAUSING HIM TO DESCEND INTO THE OCEAN SIDEWAYS. HE SUFFERED SEVERE BURNS OVER THE MAJORITY OF HIS BODY AND HE HIT THE WATER SO HARD THAT IT PERMANENTLY FUSED TOGETHER SEVERAL BONES IN HIS NECK. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE HE WAS RESCUED. EVENTUALLY RESPONDING TO THE LOSS OF THE BOMBER, A U.S. NAVY PBY CATALINA 'DUMBO' ARRIVED AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH. HE WAS RESCUED FROM THE SEA ROUGHLY ONE TO THREE MILES SOMEWHERE OFF HAHA JIMA AND TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL IN SAIPAN. HE WAS THE SOLE SURVIVOR. HE EARNED 6 AIR MEDALS AND THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL OF HONOR.