AXTHELM, David Eugene 1930 - 1953

AXTHELM, MILLER, MILLAR, EARL, ANGELL, CAMPBELL, FRANCISCO, KINDER

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/25/2021 at 20:23:27

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Friday, November 6, 1953
Front Page, Columns 6, 7, and 8

David AXTHELM, Local Pilot, Dies In Jet Crash
Won't Bail Out Of Ship Over Detroit

DETROIT (UP)--A young Fairfield air force pilot who stayed with his crippled F-86D Sabrejet to keep it from crashing into heavily-populated Detroit was declared a "real hero" today by officers at Selfridge Field.

The pilot, 2nd Lt. David E. AXTHELM, was found dead off Belle Isle, an island park in the Detroit river. His parachute was partially open. The plane hit the water about a mile upstream hear Peche Island.

Maj. Maxwell Gurman, public relations officer at Selfridge, said AXTHELM, 22, was commissioned last March and was transferred to Selfridge July 10 and assigned to the 13th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.

"That young man was a real hero," Gurman said. "He obviously stayed with the ship until it was over the water. It probably cost him his life."

Radio Message

Officers said AXTHELM radioed in Thursday evening that he had an engine failure known as a "flame-out" while approaching the field from the north at an altitude of 15,000 feet.

Gurman said AXTHELM had planned to make a "dead-stick" landing but overshot the field and headed over Detroit when he lost his bearings in a cloud bank. The pilot stayed with the jet until it was over the Detroit river. He bailed out but by then his altitude was only 500 feet.

Gurman said it was not immediately known whether the parachute was faulty, whether AXTHELM failed to pull the rip-cord in time or whether he bailed out at too low an altitude to allow it to open.

Witnesses saw AXTHELM leave the plane but did not see where he landed. Police searched more than an hour before finding the body. The plane sank in 20 feet of water.

Parents Hear News

Lt. AXTHELM's parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. E. AXTHELM, 908 E. Jefferson street, first learned to the tragedy during a radio news broadcast at 7:30 a.m. today. The confirmed the report in a telephone call to Selfridge field, but did not received an official message from the air force regarding the accident until 9:30 a.m.

No explanation was given for the fact that the news of the youth's death had been released to the press before his parents were notified.

Young AXTHELM moved to Fairfield with his parents 10 years ago. He was a popular student at Fairfield high school and participated in many school activities before he graduated in 1948. He earned letters in football, basketball, track and golf and was also active in music and dramatic groups.

David was born at New Sharon Sept. 15, 1931 (sic - 1930), the son of Edward E. and Cora MILLER (sic - MILLAR) AXTHELM. Following high school graduation, he enrolled at Simpson college where he was affiliated with Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He transferred to the State University of Iowa and was within six months of completing work for his degree when he was called to active duty by the air force.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by one brother, Robert AXTHELM, Syracuse, N. Y., and two sisters, Mrs. Frieda EARL, Boston, Mass., and Mrs. Virginia ANGELL, Indianola.

Young AXTHELM's last trip home was made this summer during leave. His father visited him at Selfridge field only a few weeks ago during a business trip.

The body will be brought to Fairfield from Michigan for services and burial.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Saturday, November 7, 1953
Front Page, Column 6

AXTHELM Rites To Be Monday

Funeral services for Air Force Lieut. David AXTHELM will be held here Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian church in charge of Dr. C. R. Douglass and the Rev. James ANGELL, Indianola.

Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery.

Lt. AXTHELM, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. E. AXTHELM, 908 E. Jefferson street, died Thursday evening when the F86D Sabrejet which he was piloting developed engine trouble and crashed into the Detroit river near Detroit.

Officers at Selfridge field where AXTHELM was stationed said he sacrificed his life by refusing to bail out of the disabled plane while it was over a heavily populated area.

Lt. AXTHELM's brother, Robert AXTHELM, flew from his home in Syracuse, N. Y., to Detroit yesterday. A call to the AXTHELM family from the commanding officer of Selfridge field said the Air Force would fly Robert to Ottumwa today. He was scheduled to arrive by noon.

The body of Lt. AXTHELM was scheduled to arrive in Fairfield by rail this afternoon.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, November 9, 1953
Front Page, Columns 2, 3, and 4

Detroit Moved By AXTHELM's Heroism

Military and civic organizations in Detroit moved today to honor the memory of Lt. David E. AXTHELM, Fairfield airman who gave his life to prevent his crippled jet fighter plane from crashing in the city's heavily-populated East side.

Last rites for the 22-year-old pilot were held this morning at the First Presbyterian church. Burial was in Evergreen cemetery.

AXTHELM, 22, was on a routine flight from Selfridge field late Thursday afternoon when his F-86D Sabrejet developed engine trouble. He chose to stay with the plane until it was over the Detroit river and when he jumped at the last moment, his parachute failed to open because of the low altitude.

The Detroit American Legion extended sympathy to AXTHELM's parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. E. AXTHELM, 908 E. Jefferson street, in a wire received Saturday. The Legion offered to conduct funeral services and provide burial in the Garden of Valor of the National Memorial Veterans cemetery in Detroit.

"We could conduct services that would try to match in beauty the sacrifice that your son made, and pay him just honors through the years," the message said.

A United Press story from Detroit today said Maj. Raymond Janezcek, commanding officer of the 13th Interceptor squadron at Selfridge field, had recommended the Distinguished Flying Cross for AXTHELM. The Fairfield airman was a member of that unit.

Charles Youngblood, president of the Detroit city council, said he would present to the council a resolution commending the pilot for his action. He requested that the resolution be forwarded to the youth's parents.

Detroit newspaper account reflected widespread public feeling over AXTHELM's heroic action. The Mount Clemons Monitor-Leader pointed out that AXTHELM's plane carried 24 "Mighty Mouse" rockets, each equivalent to a 75 millimeter shell, which could have caused a major disaster.

The reaction of the city was best summed up in an editorial published in the Saturday edition of the Detroit Free Press:

"When Lt. David E. AXTHELM slanted down out of the overcast in a dead-engine fighter and saw Detroit's East side spread beneath, everything was stacked against him.

"He had 3,000 feet. A jet's ejector seat doesn't offer much hope under 2,000 feet. And a heavy fighter with no power uses up altitude fast. AXTHELM had only a very brief time to make a decision between saving his own life and gambling it against very long odds to avert the disaster of having his plane plow into some heavily populated neighborhood.

"In his book what a man did in a spot like that was not open to debate. He used what he had left of his altitude to get out over the Detroit river's darkening waters where the inevitable crash could cost no life but his own.

"It did. He left his ship far too late. Policemen found his body on Belle Isle. Lt. AXTHELM was 22 years old. We think that when opportunity offers, somewhere out on the East side a school or park or playground should be named for David E. AXTHELM. He gave his life for people who live there. His name, thus memorialized, would be another reminder that America has young men of high courage who place others before themselves even in the last extremity."

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Wednesday, November 11, 1953
Page 8, Column 2

AXTHELM Relatives Return To Homes

Out-of-town relatives here to attend funeral services for Lt. David AXTHELM have left for their homes with the exception of Mrs. A. G. CAMPBELL of Fort Worth, Tex., who will be at the home of. Mr. and Mrs. E. E. AXTHELM until Sunday. Mrs. CAMPBELL and Mrs. AXTHELM are sisters.

Lt. Don Myser of Muscatine and Lt. Bob Poss of Norfolk, Neb., who accompanied the body here from Detroit, Mich., left Monday. Robert AXTHELM, Syracuse, N. Y., and Mrs. Robert EARL, Boston, Mass., son and daughter of the AXTHELMs, left for their homes yesterday.

Others here were Mrs. AXTHELM's sister, Mrs. Alice FRANCISCO and her daughter, Mrs. Ernest KINDER, Indianapolis, Ind.; W. J. MILLER, a brother of Mrs. AXTHELM's from Madison, Ind.; Mrs. AXTHELM's brother, Oscar AXTHELM of Winterset; Mr. and Mrs. Oscar AXTHELM, Jr., Ottumwa; Wandlan AXTHELM, Minneapolis, Minn., and Miss Minnie AXTHELM and Herman Hinnah of Keota.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, November 16, 1953
Page 4, Column 2

LOOKIN' Backward on and Forward to the Events of Our Nation State and County
by "Uncle Bill" Sherlock

Every man, woman and child in this nation of free people are mingling their tears with the tears of the E. E. AXTHELM family of Fairfield. Their son, Lt. David E. AXTHELM gave his life, a few days ago, to save the lives of hundreds if not thousands, living in Detroit's East side. Probably every home in the nation, has heard or read about the great sacrifice the lieutenant made in a few short seconds.

The Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief once said: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." In the few short seconds left for Lt. AXTHELM before he was ushered into Eternity, he classifid (sic) every man, woman and child on the ground beneath him as friends. It was his life or theirs he had in his hands. He paid the supreme sacrifice and saved theirs. Yes, "Greater loveh ath (sic) no man than this!"

Lieutenant AXTHELM will go down in the history of this nation alongside of Nathan Hale who regretted that he had but one life to give to his country. David AXTHELM gave his one life as willingly as did Nathan Hale, but he saved hundreds, if not thousands of their lives.

None of us now knows, we may never know, that some of the Detroit babes in their mothers' arms may become great statesmen, great teachers, great professional men and women, great servants of the public, great men and women in all walks of life, because a Fairfield, Iowa, boy save their lives by sacrificing his.

It goes without emphasis that a bereaved family and a bereaved city and surrounding country may question why it had to be one of our youth, but we are confident that in future years we will take pride in the fact that one of our youth was weighed in the balance and was not found wanting.

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in Lot 4th.117, the same lot as his parents, in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, IA.

Jefferson Obituaries maintained by Joey Stark.
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