Corporal Bedford Metzger was the Assistant Engineer of the 7th Emergency Rescue Squadron, flying amphibious OA-10s, also known as PBYs. It was in this capacity that he lost his life during a routine training flight off Makapu Point, O'ahu, Territory Of Hawaii, USA. Seven other men also died in that crash, one half mile off shore. They include the six member crew and two soldiers getting a transport ride. Although the crash was observed as it happened by many people on shore and in the Hickam Field tower, and rescue efforts were launched immediately, no bodies were ever recovered. One plane crew saw a man in the water and dropped a life raft, but with the next pass, the raft and a shark were seen, but not the man. Due to the depth of the water and the sharks in the area, no attempt was ever made to retrieve the airplane. Although the mission of the 7th Emergency Rescue Squadron was to land in the water to effect ocean rescues, the official report blamed the crash on "pilot error" for flying too close to the water. Several eyewitnesses said that the aircraft was already in flames before hitting the water.

Crew, 7th Emergency Rescue Squadron:
1st Lt Harris Kamis
2nd Lt Benjamin F Colson
2nd Lt Vincent G Badolato
Sgt Stanley R Kelley
Cpl Bedford K Metzger Jr
Pfc Riego C Miguel

Passengers:
1st Sgt Joseph G Ritchie
Pfc Richard K Albert

Bedford was found in NARA's Army Enlistment Record database as confirmed by matching Service Numbers. He was born in Michigan. His hometown at enlistment was Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio, where he graduated in 1944 from Mansfield Senior High. His family lived at 818 Park Avenue. He enlisted at Camp Atterbury, Columbus, Indiana, on June 8, 1945. He worked as a draftsman in civilian life. Although the Army enlistment record states he was married, the Mansfield newspaper article mentions survivors as his father, brother, and grandmother without mentioning a wife. He was a 1944 graduate of Mansfield Senior High School (Mansfield, Ohio) and was a flight mechanic in the Army Air Corps.

Father: Bedford Knox Metzger, died 1948.

Resources:

* Honolulu Advertiser; Friday 9 August 1946; page 1, banner headline article.
* Honolulu Star-Bulletin; Tuesday 20 August 1946; page 1, headline article.
* Kamis, Harris - Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF), US Army Human Resources Command.
* Kamis, Harris - Report of Major Accident, HQ Air Force Historical Research Agency.
* Mansfield News-Journal; Mansfield, Ohio; Monday 12 Aug 1946; page 1, column 7. [Includes photo.]
* Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946 (Enlistment Records), "Metzger, Bedford, ASN 15122488", database found online at the National Archives Records Administration (NARA).
* News item carried in numerous newspapers across the United States on August 8 or August 9, 1946, seen on NewspaperArchive.
* American Battle Monuments Commission, "World War II database".