FORD, Albert Standish 1922 - 1945

FORD, LUERS, VOTER, ALLEN

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 4/20/2022 at 20:56:58

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, July 31, 1944
Front Page, Column 2

Lt. A. FORD Is Missing

2nd Lieut. Albert S. FORD, co-pilot on a U.S. Army Cargo plane at an India base, is missing since July 15, according to official word received by his parents, Prof. and Mrs. Frederick FORD, 701 N. Third St., The telegram, delivered to his wife, the former Jean LUERS, yesterday while she was en route via train from her home in West Chester to a position in Colorado Springs, Colo., gave no further details.

Lieut. FORD's last letter to his wife, dated July 11 four days before he was reported missing, stated he was on detached service at an India base and had just returned from another mission over enemy territory. The cargo plane, a C-47, on which FORD is co-pilot, is unarmed.

FORD was on leave home in January of this year after receiving his commission as 2nd Lieut. and pilot silver wings at Frederick Field, Frederick, Okla. He was accompanied by his wife who had been with him during his entire training. He was assigned to Randolph Field, Texas, as instructor, lator (sic) going back to Frederick to tutor future twin-engined axis-busters. FORD was one of a small group of flyers chosen to go to St. Louis the last of April with a combat cargo group. It was thought they shipped out sometime around the middle of May as a letter about that time to the FORDs from Dr. and Mrs. William Yingling in Puerto Rico told of seeing Albert. Lieut. FORD was last home in April for a brief 5-day leave.

FORD was graduated from the local high school, and attended Parsons college two years, where he was affiliated with the Zeta Theta Gamma fraternity. He was sworn into the Army Air Corps in September 5, '42 and was employed a year and a half at the Burlington ordnance plant before being called up for training March 12, '43. He reported at Omaha and was later transferred to San Antonio, Texas, then to Corsicana, and Greenville, Texas, before going to Frederick for the final phase of his pilot training. He and Jean LUERS, also a former Parsons college student, were married in October 1942.

Lieut. FORD also has a brother, Cpl. Hubbard FORD in the army air corps in radio at Abaline, Texas, and a sister T-3 Mary Caroline FORD in the WACs on duty in Washington, D. C. Both of his parents are on the Parsons college staff.

(Note: The photo at the bottom of this posting was run with the above article.)

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"The Fairfield (Ia.) Daily Ledger"
Thursday, August 3, 1944
Page EIGHT, Columns 1 and 2

Cpl. Hubbard FORD arrived last night from his base at Abeline, Texas, for a 15 day (travel included) furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick FORD, 701 N. Third St. Another visitor in the FORD home is their daughter-in-law, Mrs. Albert FORD who came from Colorado where she was en route when word came that her husband Lieut. FORD, based in India, was missing in action since July 15. No further word has been received concerning Lieut. FORD.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Saturday, February 24, 1945
Front Page, Column 2

FORD STILL MISSING

Jean LEURS (sic - LUERS) FORD, wife of Lieut. Albert FORD, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. FORD of Parsons College, received a message from the war department Thursday telling the only additional information which has been obtained regarding Lieut. FORD who was reported missing over India last summer.

The letter states that he and his crew were on a mission from Silchar to Imphal, India on July 15 when their plane failed to arrive at its destination. It also gave the names and next of kin of the other three members of the plane's crew.

It is recalled that there was considerable action against the Japanese in the Imphal area at the time of Lieut. FORD's disappearance. It was never determined whether his plane met with an accident or he was shot down. If he was taken prisoner the fact has never been reported by the Japanese.

The area in which he disappeared is both mountainous and a jungle area. Lieut. FORD was the pilot of the transort (sic) plane which appeared to be carrying supplies at the time of its disappearance.

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"The Fairfield (Ia.) Daily Ledger"
Monday, July 30, 1945
Page SIX, Column 6

Lt. Albert FORD Missing One Year As Of July 15

2nd Lt. Albert S. FORD, co-pilot on a U. S. Army Cargo plane at an India base, has been missing one year, as of July 15. Flowers furnished Sunday morning in the Presbyterian church were silent reminders that a year has passed since his wife, the former Jean LEURS of West Chester, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick FORD, 701 N. Third St., had received official notification that he was missing in action over India since July 15, 1944.

Since no further information has been obtained during the year, the family has received notification from the war department that Lt. FORD must be presumed dead, and his status in government files has been changed from missing to dead.

Lt. FORD's last letter to his wife, dated four days before he was reported missing, stated he was on detached service at an India base and had just returned from another mission over enemy territory. The C-47 cargo plane, on which he was a co-pilot, is unarmed. He was home on leave in January, 1944 after receiving his commission as 2nd lieutenant and pilot wings at Frederick, Okla. He was one of the small group of flyers chosen to go to St. Louis the last of April, 1944 with a combat cargo group and it is thought they shipped out sometime around the middle of May.

Lt. FORD was graduated from the local high school and attended Parsons college two years where he was affiliated with the Zeta Theta Gamma fraternity. He was sworn into the army air corps December 5, 1942 and was employed a year and a half at the Burlington ordnance plant before being called up for training March 12, '43. He and Jean LEURS were married October, 1942.

He has a brother and a sister in service, Sgt. Charles Hubbard, U. S. Army Air Force, Abilene, Texas; and T. Sgt. Mary Carolyn FORD on WAC duty in Washington, D. C., now Mrs. Roger C. VOTER.

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

Note: Albert has a Cenotaph (memorial marker without a burial of remains) in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, IA, in Lot 4th.166. He is also noted on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Philippines. His wife Carol Jean subsequently remarried, to Philip ALLEN, died in 2013 in Nevada, and was buried there.

Jefferson Obituaries maintained by Joey Stark.
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