World War II Honoree

Allen A. Chandler, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fletcher, Oklahoma

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Technical Sergeant. On October 21, 1942, he was inducted into the United States Army Air Corps, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After the completion of Boot Camp, he was accepted into the Flight Aviation Training Program. Served as a Radio Operator in a B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’ Bomber in the European Theater of Operations. His unit was based at the Royal Air Force Station Bassingbourn in Cambridge, England, assigned to the 323rd Bombardment Squadron, Ninety-First Bombardment Group; U.S. Eighth ‘Mighty Eighth’ Army Air Forces. Reporting missing action Thursday, November 2, 1944 on a bombing mission to the Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant in Merseburg, Germany. While approaching the target, the ‘Flying Fortress’ carrying a crew of nine, encountered German Fighters, and ground anti-aircraft flak fire, crashing in the area of Barby, Germany. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. Later his missing in action status was amended to read killed in action. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, the American Graves Registration Command conducted recovery operations and his remains were not recovered. In April and May of 2016, personnel from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency were in the area of Barby. The recovery team was directed to an aircraft wreckage site by German researchers, where they found some remains, American military gear, and other artifacts. The remains were transferred to the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, were he was identified. He was laid to rest with Military Honors, June 27, 2018 in a joint burial with four of his crewmembers at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He received the following awards posthumously: Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart. The Air Medal awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.