The News, Frederick, MD, March 4, 1943
2ND LIEUT. JOHN KENNETH PHELPS, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Orman Phelps, Route 4, was a member of the eleventh class of aviation cadets to graduate from the new Columbus Army Flying School, near Columbus, Miss., in February. He received the silver wings of a flying officer and his commission as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. Lieut. Phelps entered pilot training May 7, 1942, and attended flying schools at Camden, S. C., and Bainbridge, Ga., before his graduation at the advanced flying school near Columbus.
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The News, Frederick, MD, January 18, 1944
With his big bomber almost entirely unflyable after being hit by flak, First Lieutenant John Kenneth Phelps, of Jefferson, reported missing in action by the War Department, apparently made a direct hit on his target at Bremen November 26 before the ship crashed.
This information is contained in a letter to his mother, Mrs. Benjamin O. Phelps, from First Lieut. Arthur B. Pack, a member of the same bomber squadron and his closest "buddy" among his comrades in the air force. The letter was read Sunday morning at the session of the Leaders Bible Class of Calvary Methodist church, of which Lieut. Phelps was a member before he entered the service.
Lieut. Pack, after saying that Lieut. Phelps went down Nov. 26 "on our raid over Bremen," added that when he (Pack) got back home that afternoon, and learned that his comrade had definitely gone down, "I was heartbroken."
"I went over to his field the next day and found out all I could about it. His ship was hit by flak (anti-aircraft guns) about five minutes before the target. It knocked off his left stabilizer and made the ship almost entirely unflyable. By some superhuman effort that I'll never understand, our Kenny managed to keep his ship flying until he reached the target. He dropped his bombs there and as far as I can ascertain, made a direct hit."
"He maneuvered his ship then in such a manner as to remove all danger from the rest of his formation. We have to love him all the more for that particular action, because at a time when his ship and his life were in peril he was thinking of the rest of us flying with him. From the time he left the formation until the time his ship hit the ground was about twenty minutes, which was more than ample time for his crew and himself to bail out and land safely by their parachutes. Although the fact that he won't be here to fly alongside me any more makes me pretty bitter, we can both take cheer in the fact that I know positively that he is alive now."
"I am trying to tell you in this letter pretty much how I feel, Mrs. Phelps. We must both know that he is alive. You through your intuition and me through my knowledge of the circumstances. If he is a prisoner of war, he will be interned for the duration and then be returned home. We'll have him back soon and when we do, we'll all throw a darned big party."
"When I complete my tour of operations here, I am going to apply for permission to go on an additional five raids to make up for the ones that Kenny would have gone on. In the meantime, I manage to carry along a few extra bombs on every raid. I know he would have done the same for me."
"Kenneth is a pretty big hero. If every man in America does as much for his country as Kenny did, this war would be over in days no rather than in months."
Lieut. Pack said he expected to be in England for about six months and added that the clothes and personal belongings of Lieut. Phelps were being sent to his mother "until he returns to use them again." At the outset of the letter, Lieut. Pack says:
"This is a letter I dread starting and I know I'll hate to finish. I know that by now (the letter is dated December 16) you have received a communique from the War Department stating that our Kenny is missing in action. I wanted very much to write to you much sooner, but I had to wait twenty days for the communique to pass through. I know how you must feel, Mrs. Phelps, because I know how my own mother would feel about me, and I know how I feel about losing him. I've lived side by side now with Kenneth for more than a year and have known him almost two years. We enlisted together, started training together and had our first taste of war together. If there were any two boys that could have been any more brothers than Kenny and myself, I've yet to see them."
__________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, March 27, 1944
The day after First Lieut. John Kenneth Phelps failed to return to his base in England from a mission over Bremen, Germany, November 26, announcement was made that he had been cited for "exceptional meritorious achievement" and was to receive the U. S. Army's Air Medal. But the young pilot still doesn't know about it.
Instead, the medal has just been received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Orman Phelps, near Jefferson, who have heard nothing more about their son since he was reported missing in action December 9.
The citation, signed by Col. A. W. Kissner, Air Corps Chief of Staff, Army Air Forces, U. S. Army, for the Third Bombardment Division in England, and made to a number of flyers, reads "Citation for exceptionally meritorious achievement, while participating in five separate bomber combat missions over enemy occupied continental Europe. The courage, coolness and skill displayed by both officers and enlisted men upon these occasions reflect great credit upon themselves and the armed forces of the United States."
Lieut. H. J. Peckham, materiel command, Fairchild Aircraft, Hagerstown, and Lieut. P. F. Cummings recently brought the medal to Mrs. Phelps after she had received the following letter from Maj. Gen. J. A. Ulio, adjutant general:
"I have the honor to inform you that, by direction of the President, the Air Medal has been awarded to your son, First Lieut. John K. Phelps, Air Corps, for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight against the enemy. "Since this award cannot be formally presented to your son at this time, the decoration will be presented to you. The Air Medal will be forwarded to the Commanding General, Third Service Command, Baltimore, Md., who will select an officer at a nearby Air Corps installation to make arrangements for the presentation of the decoration to you......"
________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, October4, 1945
A memorial service will be held on Sunday by the Leader's Bible Class of Calvary Methodist church for First Lieut. John Kenneth Phelps, of near Jefferson, who has been finally listed among the dead by the War Department after being missing in action over Germany since Nov. 26, 1943.
Lieut. Phelps was believed alive as late as March, April of this year when a brother was reported to have identified him in a photograph of liberated prisoners which appeared in a Washington newspaper. However, the identification was apparently incorrect since nothing was heard from him and the War Department finally listed him as dead Aug. 31, 1945.
Lieut. Phelps, Eighth Air Force pilot, was shot down on his 30th mission over Bremen and a friend later wrote to the young flyer's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin O. Phelps, that the county man had maneuvered his ship to remove all danger from others in the formation even though he was about to crash after being hit by flak. Phelps also made a direct hit on his target before going down.
The memorial service will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning at the regular meeting of the class, of which Lieut. Phelps was a member.
2ND LIEUT. JOHN KENNETH PHELPS, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Orman Phelps, Route 4, was a member of the eleventh class of aviation cadets to graduate from the new Columbus Army Flying School, near Columbus, Miss., in February. He received the silver wings of a flying officer and his commission as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. Lieut. Phelps entered pilot training May 7, 1942, and attended flying schools at Camden, S. C., and Bainbridge, Ga., before his graduation at the advanced flying school near Columbus.
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The News, Frederick, MD, January 18, 1944
With his big bomber almost entirely unflyable after being hit by flak, First Lieutenant John Kenneth Phelps, of Jefferson, reported missing in action by the War Department, apparently made a direct hit on his target at Bremen November 26 before the ship crashed.
This information is contained in a letter to his mother, Mrs. Benjamin O. Phelps, from First Lieut. Arthur B. Pack, a member of the same bomber squadron and his closest "buddy" among his comrades in the air force. The letter was read Sunday morning at the session of the Leaders Bible Class of Calvary Methodist church, of which Lieut. Phelps was a member before he entered the service.
Lieut. Pack, after saying that Lieut. Phelps went down Nov. 26 "on our raid over Bremen," added that when he (Pack) got back home that afternoon, and learned that his comrade had definitely gone down, "I was heartbroken."
"I went over to his field the next day and found out all I could about it. His ship was hit by flak (anti-aircraft guns) about five minutes before the target. It knocked off his left stabilizer and made the ship almost entirely unflyable. By some superhuman effort that I'll never understand, our Kenny managed to keep his ship flying until he reached the target. He dropped his bombs there and as far as I can ascertain, made a direct hit."
"He maneuvered his ship then in such a manner as to remove all danger from the rest of his formation. We have to love him all the more for that particular action, because at a time when his ship and his life were in peril he was thinking of the rest of us flying with him. From the time he left the formation until the time his ship hit the ground was about twenty minutes, which was more than ample time for his crew and himself to bail out and land safely by their parachutes. Although the fact that he won't be here to fly alongside me any more makes me pretty bitter, we can both take cheer in the fact that I know positively that he is alive now."
"I am trying to tell you in this letter pretty much how I feel, Mrs. Phelps. We must both know that he is alive. You through your intuition and me through my knowledge of the circumstances. If he is a prisoner of war, he will be interned for the duration and then be returned home. We'll have him back soon and when we do, we'll all throw a darned big party."
"When I complete my tour of operations here, I am going to apply for permission to go on an additional five raids to make up for the ones that Kenny would have gone on. In the meantime, I manage to carry along a few extra bombs on every raid. I know he would have done the same for me."
"Kenneth is a pretty big hero. If every man in America does as much for his country as Kenny did, this war would be over in days no rather than in months."
Lieut. Pack said he expected to be in England for about six months and added that the clothes and personal belongings of Lieut. Phelps were being sent to his mother "until he returns to use them again." At the outset of the letter, Lieut. Pack says:
"This is a letter I dread starting and I know I'll hate to finish. I know that by now (the letter is dated December 16) you have received a communique from the War Department stating that our Kenny is missing in action. I wanted very much to write to you much sooner, but I had to wait twenty days for the communique to pass through. I know how you must feel, Mrs. Phelps, because I know how my own mother would feel about me, and I know how I feel about losing him. I've lived side by side now with Kenneth for more than a year and have known him almost two years. We enlisted together, started training together and had our first taste of war together. If there were any two boys that could have been any more brothers than Kenny and myself, I've yet to see them."
__________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, March 27, 1944
The day after First Lieut. John Kenneth Phelps failed to return to his base in England from a mission over Bremen, Germany, November 26, announcement was made that he had been cited for "exceptional meritorious achievement" and was to receive the U. S. Army's Air Medal. But the young pilot still doesn't know about it.
Instead, the medal has just been received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Orman Phelps, near Jefferson, who have heard nothing more about their son since he was reported missing in action December 9.
The citation, signed by Col. A. W. Kissner, Air Corps Chief of Staff, Army Air Forces, U. S. Army, for the Third Bombardment Division in England, and made to a number of flyers, reads "Citation for exceptionally meritorious achievement, while participating in five separate bomber combat missions over enemy occupied continental Europe. The courage, coolness and skill displayed by both officers and enlisted men upon these occasions reflect great credit upon themselves and the armed forces of the United States."
Lieut. H. J. Peckham, materiel command, Fairchild Aircraft, Hagerstown, and Lieut. P. F. Cummings recently brought the medal to Mrs. Phelps after she had received the following letter from Maj. Gen. J. A. Ulio, adjutant general:
"I have the honor to inform you that, by direction of the President, the Air Medal has been awarded to your son, First Lieut. John K. Phelps, Air Corps, for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight against the enemy. "Since this award cannot be formally presented to your son at this time, the decoration will be presented to you. The Air Medal will be forwarded to the Commanding General, Third Service Command, Baltimore, Md., who will select an officer at a nearby Air Corps installation to make arrangements for the presentation of the decoration to you......"
________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, October4, 1945
A memorial service will be held on Sunday by the Leader's Bible Class of Calvary Methodist church for First Lieut. John Kenneth Phelps, of near Jefferson, who has been finally listed among the dead by the War Department after being missing in action over Germany since Nov. 26, 1943.
Lieut. Phelps was believed alive as late as March, April of this year when a brother was reported to have identified him in a photograph of liberated prisoners which appeared in a Washington newspaper. However, the identification was apparently incorrect since nothing was heard from him and the War Department finally listed him as dead Aug. 31, 1945.
Lieut. Phelps, Eighth Air Force pilot, was shot down on his 30th mission over Bremen and a friend later wrote to the young flyer's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin O. Phelps, that the county man had maneuvered his ship to remove all danger from others in the formation even though he was about to crash after being hit by flak. Phelps also made a direct hit on his target before going down.
The memorial service will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning at the regular meeting of the class, of which Lieut. Phelps was a member.
The News, Frederick, MD, March 4, 1943
2ND LIEUT. JOHN KENNETH PHELPS, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Orman Phelps, Route 4, was a member of the eleventh class of aviation cadets to graduate from the new Columbus Army Flying School, near Columbus, Miss., in February. He received the silver wings of a flying officer and his commission as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. Lieut. Phelps entered pilot training May 7, 1942, and attended flying schools at Camden, S. C., and Bainbridge, Ga., before his graduation at the advanced flying school near Columbus.
___________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, January 18, 1944
With his big bomber almost entirely unflyable after being hit by flak, First Lieutenant John Kenneth Phelps, of Jefferson, reported missing in action by the War Department, apparently made a direct hit on his target at Bremen November 26 before the ship crashed.
This information is contained in a letter to his mother, Mrs. Benjamin O. Phelps, from First Lieut. Arthur B. Pack, a member of the same bomber squadron and his closest "buddy" among his comrades in the air force. The letter was read Sunday morning at the session of the Leaders Bible Class of Calvary Methodist church, of which Lieut. Phelps was a member before he entered the service.
Lieut. Pack, after saying that Lieut. Phelps went down Nov. 26 "on our raid over Bremen," added that when he (Pack) got back home that afternoon, and learned that his comrade had definitely gone down, "I was heartbroken."
"I went over to his field the next day and found out all I could about it. His ship was hit by flak (anti-aircraft guns) about five minutes before the target. It knocked off his left stabilizer and made the ship almost entirely unflyable. By some superhuman effort that I'll never understand, our Kenny managed to keep his ship flying until he reached the target. He dropped his bombs there and as far as I can ascertain, made a direct hit."
"He maneuvered his ship then in such a manner as to remove all danger from the rest of his formation. We have to love him all the more for that particular action, because at a time when his ship and his life were in peril he was thinking of the rest of us flying with him. From the time he left the formation until the time his ship hit the ground was about twenty minutes, which was more than ample time for his crew and himself to bail out and land safely by their parachutes. Although the fact that he won't be here to fly alongside me any more makes me pretty bitter, we can both take cheer in the fact that I know positively that he is alive now."
"I am trying to tell you in this letter pretty much how I feel, Mrs. Phelps. We must both know that he is alive. You through your intuition and me through my knowledge of the circumstances. If he is a prisoner of war, he will be interned for the duration and then be returned home. We'll have him back soon and when we do, we'll all throw a darned big party."
"When I complete my tour of operations here, I am going to apply for permission to go on an additional five raids to make up for the ones that Kenny would have gone on. In the meantime, I manage to carry along a few extra bombs on every raid. I know he would have done the same for me."
"Kenneth is a pretty big hero. If every man in America does as much for his country as Kenny did, this war would be over in days no rather than in months."
Lieut. Pack said he expected to be in England for about six months and added that the clothes and personal belongings of Lieut. Phelps were being sent to his mother "until he returns to use them again." At the outset of the letter, Lieut. Pack says:
"This is a letter I dread starting and I know I'll hate to finish. I know that by now (the letter is dated December 16) you have received a communique from the War Department stating that our Kenny is missing in action. I wanted very much to write to you much sooner, but I had to wait twenty days for the communique to pass through. I know how you must feel, Mrs. Phelps, because I know how my own mother would feel about me, and I know how I feel about losing him. I've lived side by side now with Kenneth for more than a year and have known him almost two years. We enlisted together, started training together and had our first taste of war together. If there were any two boys that could have been any more brothers than Kenny and myself, I've yet to see them."
__________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, March 27, 1944
The day after First Lieut. John Kenneth Phelps failed to return to his base in England from a mission over Bremen, Germany, November 26, announcement was made that he had been cited for "exceptional meritorious achievement" and was to receive the U. S. Army's Air Medal. But the young pilot still doesn't know about it.
Instead, the medal has just been received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Orman Phelps, near Jefferson, who have heard nothing more about their son since he was reported missing in action December 9.
The citation, signed by Col. A. W. Kissner, Air Corps Chief of Staff, Army Air Forces, U. S. Army, for the Third Bombardment Division in England, and made to a number of flyers, reads "Citation for exceptionally meritorious achievement, while participating in five separate bomber combat missions over enemy occupied continental Europe. The courage, coolness and skill displayed by both officers and enlisted men upon these occasions reflect great credit upon themselves and the armed forces of the United States."
Lieut. H. J. Peckham, materiel command, Fairchild Aircraft, Hagerstown, and Lieut. P. F. Cummings recently brought the medal to Mrs. Phelps after she had received the following letter from Maj. Gen. J. A. Ulio, adjutant general:
"I have the honor to inform you that, by direction of the President, the Air Medal has been awarded to your son, First Lieut. John K. Phelps, Air Corps, for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight against the enemy. "Since this award cannot be formally presented to your son at this time, the decoration will be presented to you. The Air Medal will be forwarded to the Commanding General, Third Service Command, Baltimore, Md., who will select an officer at a nearby Air Corps installation to make arrangements for the presentation of the decoration to you......"
________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, October4, 1945
A memorial service will be held on Sunday by the Leader's Bible Class of Calvary Methodist church for First Lieut. John Kenneth Phelps, of near Jefferson, who has been finally listed among the dead by the War Department after being missing in action over Germany since Nov. 26, 1943.
Lieut. Phelps was believed alive as late as March, April of this year when a brother was reported to have identified him in a photograph of liberated prisoners which appeared in a Washington newspaper. However, the identification was apparently incorrect since nothing was heard from him and the War Department finally listed him as dead Aug. 31, 1945.
Lieut. Phelps, Eighth Air Force pilot, was shot down on his 30th mission over Bremen and a friend later wrote to the young flyer's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin O. Phelps, that the county man had maneuvered his ship to remove all danger from others in the formation even though he was about to crash after being hit by flak. Phelps also made a direct hit on his target before going down.
The memorial service will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning at the regular meeting of the class, of which Lieut. Phelps was a member.
2ND LIEUT. JOHN KENNETH PHELPS, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Orman Phelps, Route 4, was a member of the eleventh class of aviation cadets to graduate from the new Columbus Army Flying School, near Columbus, Miss., in February. He received the silver wings of a flying officer and his commission as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. Lieut. Phelps entered pilot training May 7, 1942, and attended flying schools at Camden, S. C., and Bainbridge, Ga., before his graduation at the advanced flying school near Columbus.
___________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, January 18, 1944
With his big bomber almost entirely unflyable after being hit by flak, First Lieutenant John Kenneth Phelps, of Jefferson, reported missing in action by the War Department, apparently made a direct hit on his target at Bremen November 26 before the ship crashed.
This information is contained in a letter to his mother, Mrs. Benjamin O. Phelps, from First Lieut. Arthur B. Pack, a member of the same bomber squadron and his closest "buddy" among his comrades in the air force. The letter was read Sunday morning at the session of the Leaders Bible Class of Calvary Methodist church, of which Lieut. Phelps was a member before he entered the service.
Lieut. Pack, after saying that Lieut. Phelps went down Nov. 26 "on our raid over Bremen," added that when he (Pack) got back home that afternoon, and learned that his comrade had definitely gone down, "I was heartbroken."
"I went over to his field the next day and found out all I could about it. His ship was hit by flak (anti-aircraft guns) about five minutes before the target. It knocked off his left stabilizer and made the ship almost entirely unflyable. By some superhuman effort that I'll never understand, our Kenny managed to keep his ship flying until he reached the target. He dropped his bombs there and as far as I can ascertain, made a direct hit."
"He maneuvered his ship then in such a manner as to remove all danger from the rest of his formation. We have to love him all the more for that particular action, because at a time when his ship and his life were in peril he was thinking of the rest of us flying with him. From the time he left the formation until the time his ship hit the ground was about twenty minutes, which was more than ample time for his crew and himself to bail out and land safely by their parachutes. Although the fact that he won't be here to fly alongside me any more makes me pretty bitter, we can both take cheer in the fact that I know positively that he is alive now."
"I am trying to tell you in this letter pretty much how I feel, Mrs. Phelps. We must both know that he is alive. You through your intuition and me through my knowledge of the circumstances. If he is a prisoner of war, he will be interned for the duration and then be returned home. We'll have him back soon and when we do, we'll all throw a darned big party."
"When I complete my tour of operations here, I am going to apply for permission to go on an additional five raids to make up for the ones that Kenny would have gone on. In the meantime, I manage to carry along a few extra bombs on every raid. I know he would have done the same for me."
"Kenneth is a pretty big hero. If every man in America does as much for his country as Kenny did, this war would be over in days no rather than in months."
Lieut. Pack said he expected to be in England for about six months and added that the clothes and personal belongings of Lieut. Phelps were being sent to his mother "until he returns to use them again." At the outset of the letter, Lieut. Pack says:
"This is a letter I dread starting and I know I'll hate to finish. I know that by now (the letter is dated December 16) you have received a communique from the War Department stating that our Kenny is missing in action. I wanted very much to write to you much sooner, but I had to wait twenty days for the communique to pass through. I know how you must feel, Mrs. Phelps, because I know how my own mother would feel about me, and I know how I feel about losing him. I've lived side by side now with Kenneth for more than a year and have known him almost two years. We enlisted together, started training together and had our first taste of war together. If there were any two boys that could have been any more brothers than Kenny and myself, I've yet to see them."
__________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, March 27, 1944
The day after First Lieut. John Kenneth Phelps failed to return to his base in England from a mission over Bremen, Germany, November 26, announcement was made that he had been cited for "exceptional meritorious achievement" and was to receive the U. S. Army's Air Medal. But the young pilot still doesn't know about it.
Instead, the medal has just been received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Orman Phelps, near Jefferson, who have heard nothing more about their son since he was reported missing in action December 9.
The citation, signed by Col. A. W. Kissner, Air Corps Chief of Staff, Army Air Forces, U. S. Army, for the Third Bombardment Division in England, and made to a number of flyers, reads "Citation for exceptionally meritorious achievement, while participating in five separate bomber combat missions over enemy occupied continental Europe. The courage, coolness and skill displayed by both officers and enlisted men upon these occasions reflect great credit upon themselves and the armed forces of the United States."
Lieut. H. J. Peckham, materiel command, Fairchild Aircraft, Hagerstown, and Lieut. P. F. Cummings recently brought the medal to Mrs. Phelps after she had received the following letter from Maj. Gen. J. A. Ulio, adjutant general:
"I have the honor to inform you that, by direction of the President, the Air Medal has been awarded to your son, First Lieut. John K. Phelps, Air Corps, for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight against the enemy. "Since this award cannot be formally presented to your son at this time, the decoration will be presented to you. The Air Medal will be forwarded to the Commanding General, Third Service Command, Baltimore, Md., who will select an officer at a nearby Air Corps installation to make arrangements for the presentation of the decoration to you......"
________________________________________________________
The News, Frederick, MD, October4, 1945
A memorial service will be held on Sunday by the Leader's Bible Class of Calvary Methodist church for First Lieut. John Kenneth Phelps, of near Jefferson, who has been finally listed among the dead by the War Department after being missing in action over Germany since Nov. 26, 1943.
Lieut. Phelps was believed alive as late as March, April of this year when a brother was reported to have identified him in a photograph of liberated prisoners which appeared in a Washington newspaper. However, the identification was apparently incorrect since nothing was heard from him and the War Department finally listed him as dead Aug. 31, 1945.
Lieut. Phelps, Eighth Air Force pilot, was shot down on his 30th mission over Bremen and a friend later wrote to the young flyer's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin O. Phelps, that the county man had maneuvered his ship to remove all danger from others in the formation even though he was about to crash after being hit by flak. Phelps also made a direct hit on his target before going down.
The memorial service will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning at the regular meeting of the class, of which Lieut. Phelps was a member.
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Entered the service from Maryland.
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