Lieutenant Claire E. Gates

WALSH - GOUGH - PRINGLE

Posted By: Deborah (email)
Date: 10/7/2004 at 12:22:44

From the Iowa Recorder 8/23/44

Lieutenant Claire E. Gates Killed in Airplane Accident

Son of Mr., Mrs. Galen Gates. Parents Received Telegram Tuesday Morning From Commanding Officer at Pueblo, Colorado Air Base.

A telegram telling of the death of Lieutenant Claire E. Gates, age 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Galen Gates, west of Greene, sometime Monday, was received by the youth's parents Tuesday morning about 9:30 o'clock. He was killed in an accident at Model, Colorado.

Lieutenant Gates, who was an officer in the army air force, and stationed at Pueblo air base, Pueblo, Colorado, was a bombardier on a bomber.

Co-incidental with the knowledge of Claire's death, came news of two bombers from the Pueblo air base crashing Monday, when their wings interlocked while flying in formation. Although no official word has been received by the parents that Claire was in one of these bombers, friends of the youth in Greene feel that he might have been one of the members of the bomber crews to lose their lives.

Telegram from Claire's commanding officer was as follows: "I deeply regret to inform you of the death of your son, Lieutenant Claire E. Gates, as a result of an airplane accident August 21, near Model, Colorado. Request information by the graph government rate collect whether you wish the remains shipped home or to another destination and to whom the remains should be shipped. The officers and men of this command join me in expressing sincere sympathy."

The Greene youth had received his commission only about three months ago, after completing his training at Carlsbad, New Mexico, army air field.

In announcement of the completion of Lieutenant Gate's training, the air field gave the following information, "He now becomes one of the army air force's triple threat men, airmen who have completed instruction in dead-reckoning navigation and aerial gunnery, in addition to the regular bombardiering."

After getting is commission, Claire received a two weeks furlough which he spent with this parents, arriving in Greene June 12.

He was inducted into the service in February, 1943, and received his basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He was then sent to East Lansing Michigan State college, and then to San Antonio, Texas where he was classified as a bombardier.

Claire received his pre-flight training at Ellington field, Houston, Texas, and was then sent to gunnery school at Kingman, Arizona before beginning his final lap at Carlsbad.

The Greene youth was born on the farm of his parents, west of Greene and received his scholastic training in the Marble Rock high school, being graduated with the class of 1939. He then entered a business college in Mason City , and after completing his course, he was employed by the Milwaukee railroad in Mason City. He was employed in the engineer's office of the railroad at the time he was inducted into the army air Corp.
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Iowa Recorder, The (Greene, Iowa) > 1944 > August > 30

Large Croud Attended Funeral Service For Lieutenant Claire E. Gates Sunday.

Classmates of Marble Rock High School Graduate Servered at Pallbearers, Flower Girls.

The Marble Rock high school auditorium was filled to near capacity Sunday afternoon for the funeral service of Lieutenant Claire E. Gates, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Galen Gates.

Lieutent Gates, who was stationed at Pueblo air base, Pueblo, Colorado, was killed when the wings of two bombers, one in which he was a crew member, locked in mid air. He was one of 17 flyers to lose their lives in the crash between Model and Trinidad, Colorado on August 21.

The fellow officer, Lieutenant Howard Gunderson, instructor pilot, who accompanied the body to Greene as an army escort, said that only one of the crew was able to bail out and was uninjured. The bombers crashed one half mile apart.

Claire had received his commission in June, and following a 20 day leave, which he spent with his parents, he then reported to the army air base at Pueblo for overseas training. He was assigned to section C, replacement training unit, and he had completed the first-half of his training. At the time of the accident, Claire was on a high altitude formation flight, according to the escort officer.

Serving as casket bearers at the funeral service Sunday were five of his classmates from the 1939 class of the Marble Rock high school, Roy Maxon, seaman second class, who had been home on a leave, Dean Edwards, Merlin Merrick, Robert Nash and Lloyd Watters, and Max Barnett, a close friend.

His girl schoolmates also served at the service, as flower girls. They included Grace Ott, Mrs. Richard Rohwedder, Mrs. Charles Gates, Mrs. Roy Chambers, Mrs. Eldon Dykes, Mrs. Lawrence Keith, Mary Herman and Zella Wood.

Ushers consisted of some of Claire's friends, Ralph Wilson, Dr. L.S. Wentworth, Clarence Adams, Keith Conklin, Claude Ewald and Glen Cleveland at Northwoood, county superintendent of Worth county.

The funeral services were in charge of Rev. H.F. Mercer, pastor of the Greene and Marble Rock Methodist churches, who was assisted by the Rev. George C. Foster, pastor of the Bethel Baptist church of Marble Rock.

The American Legion posts of Greene and Marble Rock conducted military services at Hillside cemetery and the Greene American Legion Auxiliary attended the service as a group.

The flag that came with Claire's casket was presented to his parents by the Untied States government through the American Legion post by the Rev. Mr. Mercer, chaplain of the post.

Marble Rock Boy Scouts were in charge of parking of the cars.

Clair is survived by this parents and maternal grandmother, Mrs. Lizzie Hesalroad of Greene.