Private First Class Freeland, student gunner, was killed aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-17G Flying Fortress #42-31324 in a mid-air collision with an AT-6, fifteen miles northwest of the Las Vegas Army Airfield, Nevada.
The pilot of the AT-6 Texan, Carlton H Kleiser was killed by the collision. Miraculously, the tail gunner on the B-17, who was trapped in his compartment when the tail section was severed off, survived the fall to earth.
Ten other airmen aboard the B-17 perished:
2nd Lt. Donald C M Westhaver, Pilot
2nd Lt. Court B Lake, Co-Pilot
S/Sgt. Robert T King, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Ralph E Warford, Gunnery Instructor
Sgt. Richard H Miner, student gunner
Sgt. Joseph F Triscori, student gunner
PFC Peter Merich Jr, student gunner
Pvt. George O Patterson, student gunner
Pvt. Robert E L Patterson, student gunner
Pvt. Leonard G Patterson, student gunner
~
Entered the service from Michigan; Service ID: 36554932.
The pilot of the AT-6 Texan, Carlton H Kleiser was killed by the collision. Miraculously, the tail gunner on the B-17, who was trapped in his compartment when the tail section was severed off, survived the fall to earth.
Ten other airmen aboard the B-17 perished:
2nd Lt. Donald C M Westhaver, Pilot
2nd Lt. Court B Lake, Co-Pilot
S/Sgt. Robert T King, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Ralph E Warford, Gunnery Instructor
Sgt. Richard H Miner, student gunner
Sgt. Joseph F Triscori, student gunner
PFC Peter Merich Jr, student gunner
Pvt. George O Patterson, student gunner
Pvt. Robert E L Patterson, student gunner
Pvt. Leonard G Patterson, student gunner
~
Entered the service from Michigan; Service ID: 36554932.
Private First Class Freeland, student gunner, was killed aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-17G Flying Fortress #42-31324 in a mid-air collision with an AT-6, fifteen miles northwest of the Las Vegas Army Airfield, Nevada.
The pilot of the AT-6 Texan, Carlton H Kleiser was killed by the collision. Miraculously, the tail gunner on the B-17, who was trapped in his compartment when the tail section was severed off, survived the fall to earth.
Ten other airmen aboard the B-17 perished:
2nd Lt. Donald C M Westhaver, Pilot
2nd Lt. Court B Lake, Co-Pilot
S/Sgt. Robert T King, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Ralph E Warford, Gunnery Instructor
Sgt. Richard H Miner, student gunner
Sgt. Joseph F Triscori, student gunner
PFC Peter Merich Jr, student gunner
Pvt. George O Patterson, student gunner
Pvt. Robert E L Patterson, student gunner
Pvt. Leonard G Patterson, student gunner
~
Entered the service from Michigan; Service ID: 36554932.
The pilot of the AT-6 Texan, Carlton H Kleiser was killed by the collision. Miraculously, the tail gunner on the B-17, who was trapped in his compartment when the tail section was severed off, survived the fall to earth.
Ten other airmen aboard the B-17 perished:
2nd Lt. Donald C M Westhaver, Pilot
2nd Lt. Court B Lake, Co-Pilot
S/Sgt. Robert T King, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Ralph E Warford, Gunnery Instructor
Sgt. Richard H Miner, student gunner
Sgt. Joseph F Triscori, student gunner
PFC Peter Merich Jr, student gunner
Pvt. George O Patterson, student gunner
Pvt. Robert E L Patterson, student gunner
Pvt. Leonard G Patterson, student gunner
~
Entered the service from Michigan; Service ID: 36554932.
Inscription
PFC, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
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