Homer Gregory Judd 1918-1943

JUDD, BAKER, BRINTON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 4/27/2013 at 18:17:03

Captain Homer Judd Killed
Hurt Fatally Sunday Night in Plane Crash
Accident Occurs at Deland, Florida.
Marine Capt. Homer G. Judd, 25, son of Mr. and Mrs. Homer G. Judd of Estherville, was killed Sunday night during a night flight at Deland, Fla., according to a telephone call received last night by Mr. and Mrs. Judd.

Captain Judd, who had been in foreign service for 18 months, during which time he was at Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal and other Pacific Islands, has been stationed at Jacksonville and DeLand, Fla., as a flight instructor since August of this year. During the time he was in foreign service he was pilot of a dive bomber with the Marine Air Corps.

Medical Officer Calls
No details were given in the telephone call, which came at 10:30 Iowa time last night. A senior medical officer spoke to a member of the Judd family, informing them of the death of their only son.

The body will arrive in Estherville Friday morning and funeral services are being planned for Saturday morning from the St. Patrick’s church.

The body will be accompanied by a naval officer, Captain Judd’s wife and an uncle and aunt of Mrs. Judd, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Brinton of Oelwein.

Mrs. Judd has been with her husband since their marriage, Aug. 24.

Funeral services are being held in DeLand today and the group will be met in Chicago by the Brintons.

Born in Estherville
Homer Gregory Judd, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. H.G. Judd, was born Feb. 15, 1918, at Estherville. He attended the Estherville schools and in June, 1935, was graduated from the Estherville high school.

He attended the Estherville junior college during the school year of 1935-36.

During his sophomore year of college, he attended the Creighton College of law at Omaha, Neb., and then transferred to Trinity college at Sioux City where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1939.

While in high school he was outstanding in dramatics, usually taking comedy parts in school plays. He also was a member of the football team.

In C.A.A. Training
During the summer months of 1940 Judd was enrolled in the Civil Aernautics Association War Training Service program in Estherville. He entered the marine air corps on his 22nd birthday, Feb. 15, 1941, and received his commission as lieutenant in October, 1941. At the time he was commissioned Captain in October, 1942, Judd was overseas.

Captain Judd landed in San Diego, Calif., last May 17, the date of his parents’ wedding anniversary. He arrived in Estherville the last day of May and then went to Rochester, Minn., to be with his sister, Olive, of Washington, D.C., who was in a hospital at that time. The last week of June Captain Judd left for San Diego, Calif., to enter the naval hospital, as he was suffering with malaria fever, which he had contracted during his overseas duty.

Married Aug. 24
Captain Judd was a member of the St. Patrick’s church.

He was united in marriage Aug. 24 to Ida Anne Baker, niece of Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Brinton of Oelwien. The marriage was performed in the Sacred Heart church at Oelwein.

Captain Judd is survived by his parents and his one sister, Olive, who is employed in civil service at Washington, D.C. She was notified of her brother’s death early today. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, November 30, 1943)

Funeral for Homer Judd to Be Saturday
Escort of Veterans Will Meet Train
Funeral services for Marine Captain Homer G. Judd are being arranged for 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick’s church with burial in the Catholic cemetery.

Marine Captain Judd was killed Sunday evening at Deland, Fla., during a night flight. Judd had been an instructor in Florida since August after having spent 18 months in foreign service. No details have yet been learned by members of the Judd family.

Sister Coming Home
Miss Olive Judd, his sister, will arrive home tomorrow morning from Washington, D.C., where she is employed in civil service work. She will be accompanied by several friends.

The body of Captain Judd will arrive in Estherville Friday morning and will be taken to the Judd home.

Escort is planned
The American Legion color and color guard, the Veterans of Foreign ward corps and color guard and all Legionnaires and all veterans are asked to meet at 7 a.m. Friday, at the Legion club rooms in the city hall and from there will go to the Rock Island depot to escort the body of Captain Judd to the Judd home. All Legionnaires and Veterans of Foreign wars are asked to wear their caps and all men of the armed forces who are home on furlough are asked to be present and to go with the group and to act as honorary guards. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, December 1, 1943)
Military Rites Held Today for Captain Judd
Services in Catholic Church in Estherville
Military funeral rites were held this morning at 9 o’clock at the St. Patrick’s church for Marine Capt. Homer G. Judd, who was killed Sunday evening at DeLand, Fla.

Requiem high mass was celebrated by Father Urban, C.P., and the sermon was preached by Father J.J. Keane.

Many Friends Present
The prayers were read in English because of Captain Judd’s many Protestant friends who were present at the service. The church was crowded with his friends, both Catholic and Protestant.

Altar boys were John Kiefer, Michael Maloney, Robert O’Riley and Gerald Sullivan.

Those who sang requiem high mass were Alvina Goecke, Marjorie Kennedy, Betty Burns, Mary Lou Waldron, Mary Jo Reynolds, Coleen Reynolds, Tommy Maine, John Waters and Alice Opelt, Mrs. W.H. Dooley presided at the organ.

Color Guards Present
The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars were present with their color guards. Pall bearers were Mike Folley, Fred Larsen, Hugh McTavish, Irwin Nichols, Lewis Salyers and Dr. T.C. Mann.

Other patriotic organizations of the city present were the War Dads, members of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Service Star Legion, United Service Women, Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Bomber Circles Cemetery
During the military service at the grave, a large four-motored bomber circled the field three times.

“This was a becoming tribute to Marine Captain Judd,” Lieut. Edward A. Howell, U.S.N.R., who is stationed at the Naval Air Station at DeLand, Fla., commented this morning. He said he did not know whether military officials planned the bomber’s appearance.

The Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars also acted as a firing squad and taps was played at the grave.

Lieutenant Howell, who acted as a military escort for Captain Judd’s body stated this afternoon that “Mrs. Judd, Jr., and Mrs. Judd, Sr., showed the true spirit which war mothers and war widows are capable of showing. Mr. Judd and his daughter, Olive, also showed the true spirit of war relatives.”

No details have been learned of the plane accident which took the life of Captain Judd.

Members of four branches of the armed forces, the coast guard, navy, marines and army, acted as honorary pallbearers Friday morning when the body of Captain Judd arrived in Estherville.

Captain Judd is survived by his widow, his parents and his sister.

Father Keane had just been released this week from the hospital where he had been confined for the past seven weeks with a broken leg. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, December 4, 1943)