Second Lieutenant, 458th Bomb Squadron, 330th Bomb Group, World War II.
Pilot of B-24D Liberator #41-24036.
After hours of delay due to mechanical issues, the flight took off from the base at Alamogordo for a brief training flight, but crashed three miles west of the airfield, possibly due to a malfunction of the automated flight control system. The bomber went into a dive with little to no room for the pilots to disengage the system and recover.
All ten airmen aboard were killed. The bombardier had gone to sleep in his quarters, believing the flight activities had been cancelled for the night, and missed being aboard the doomed flight.
Killed in service were:
2LT William F Schulte, O-666833, CO, Pilot
2LT Elmer J Molique Jr, 35171019*, OH, Co-Pilot
2LT Billie D Stults, O-736404, AR, Add'l Co-Pilot
2LT Raymond W Wherling, O-795324, PA, Navigator
SGT Warren S Leeper , 37307121, SD, Gunner
SGT Robert C McCormick, 19078264, CA, Gunner
SGT Paul D Miller, 16095571, WI, Asst. Engineer
PVT Floyd J Pekrul, 37014756, OK, Flight Engineer
SGT Willie F Rose, 35442577, KY, Asst. Radio Operator
SGT Austin P Young, 33347234, PA, Radio Operator
~
Son of C. Frank Schulte (b. abt. 1887-Germany)
Elsie Kindel (b. abt. 1891-Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado, confirmed they have no record on burial or inurnment in their cemetery, and no record of where the ashes were taken.
Pilot of B-24D Liberator #41-24036.
After hours of delay due to mechanical issues, the flight took off from the base at Alamogordo for a brief training flight, but crashed three miles west of the airfield, possibly due to a malfunction of the automated flight control system. The bomber went into a dive with little to no room for the pilots to disengage the system and recover.
All ten airmen aboard were killed. The bombardier had gone to sleep in his quarters, believing the flight activities had been cancelled for the night, and missed being aboard the doomed flight.
Killed in service were:
2LT William F Schulte, O-666833, CO, Pilot
2LT Elmer J Molique Jr, 35171019*, OH, Co-Pilot
2LT Billie D Stults, O-736404, AR, Add'l Co-Pilot
2LT Raymond W Wherling, O-795324, PA, Navigator
SGT Warren S Leeper , 37307121, SD, Gunner
SGT Robert C McCormick, 19078264, CA, Gunner
SGT Paul D Miller, 16095571, WI, Asst. Engineer
PVT Floyd J Pekrul, 37014756, OK, Flight Engineer
SGT Willie F Rose, 35442577, KY, Asst. Radio Operator
SGT Austin P Young, 33347234, PA, Radio Operator
~
Son of C. Frank Schulte (b. abt. 1887-Germany)
Elsie Kindel (b. abt. 1891-Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado, confirmed they have no record on burial or inurnment in their cemetery, and no record of where the ashes were taken.
Second Lieutenant, 458th Bomb Squadron, 330th Bomb Group, World War II.
Pilot of B-24D Liberator #41-24036.
After hours of delay due to mechanical issues, the flight took off from the base at Alamogordo for a brief training flight, but crashed three miles west of the airfield, possibly due to a malfunction of the automated flight control system. The bomber went into a dive with little to no room for the pilots to disengage the system and recover.
All ten airmen aboard were killed. The bombardier had gone to sleep in his quarters, believing the flight activities had been cancelled for the night, and missed being aboard the doomed flight.
Killed in service were:
2LT William F Schulte, O-666833, CO, Pilot
2LT Elmer J Molique Jr, 35171019*, OH, Co-Pilot
2LT Billie D Stults, O-736404, AR, Add'l Co-Pilot
2LT Raymond W Wherling, O-795324, PA, Navigator
SGT Warren S Leeper , 37307121, SD, Gunner
SGT Robert C McCormick, 19078264, CA, Gunner
SGT Paul D Miller, 16095571, WI, Asst. Engineer
PVT Floyd J Pekrul, 37014756, OK, Flight Engineer
SGT Willie F Rose, 35442577, KY, Asst. Radio Operator
SGT Austin P Young, 33347234, PA, Radio Operator
~
Son of C. Frank Schulte (b. abt. 1887-Germany)
Elsie Kindel (b. abt. 1891-Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado, confirmed they have no record on burial or inurnment in their cemetery, and no record of where the ashes were taken.
Pilot of B-24D Liberator #41-24036.
After hours of delay due to mechanical issues, the flight took off from the base at Alamogordo for a brief training flight, but crashed three miles west of the airfield, possibly due to a malfunction of the automated flight control system. The bomber went into a dive with little to no room for the pilots to disengage the system and recover.
All ten airmen aboard were killed. The bombardier had gone to sleep in his quarters, believing the flight activities had been cancelled for the night, and missed being aboard the doomed flight.
Killed in service were:
2LT William F Schulte, O-666833, CO, Pilot
2LT Elmer J Molique Jr, 35171019*, OH, Co-Pilot
2LT Billie D Stults, O-736404, AR, Add'l Co-Pilot
2LT Raymond W Wherling, O-795324, PA, Navigator
SGT Warren S Leeper , 37307121, SD, Gunner
SGT Robert C McCormick, 19078264, CA, Gunner
SGT Paul D Miller, 16095571, WI, Asst. Engineer
PVT Floyd J Pekrul, 37014756, OK, Flight Engineer
SGT Willie F Rose, 35442577, KY, Asst. Radio Operator
SGT Austin P Young, 33347234, PA, Radio Operator
~
Son of C. Frank Schulte (b. abt. 1887-Germany)
Elsie Kindel (b. abt. 1891-Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado, confirmed they have no record on burial or inurnment in their cemetery, and no record of where the ashes were taken.
Gravesite Details
Location of cremains unknown
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