World War II Honoree

Rudolph C. Flanagin

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

San Antonio, Texas

Honored By

William Stegall

FIRST LIEUTENANT. SERVED WITH 866TH BOMBER SQUADRON, 494TH BOMB GROUP, HEAVY. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE B-24 AIRCRAFT 'TALOA'. THE TALOA, ALONG WITH 35 OTHER BOMBERS ON JULY 28, 1945, PARTICIPATED IN A BOMBING MISSION TO KURE HARBOR ON THE SOUTHERN END OF HONSHU. THE TARGET WAS THE JAPANESE BATTLESHIP 'HARUNA'. TALOA DELIVERED ITS 3 BOMBS AGAINST THE BATTLESHIP AND WITHIN MOMENTS AFTER RELEASING THEM WAS HIT BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE. TALOA MADE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT, WENT INTO A STEEP DIVE AND WENT DOWN AT YAWATA VILLAGE IN THE HIROSHIMA PREFECTURE. HE FELL TO HIS DEATH IN THE OTAGAWA RIVER FROM THE HOLE CAUSED BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE. AWARDS: AIR MEDAL WITH 5 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, AND PURPLE HEART. SERIAL NUMBER: O 821250.