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Fletcher E. Adams

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Captain

Fletcher E. Adams
Fletcher Adams
Birth nameFletcher Eugene Adams
Nickname(s)Fletch[1]
Born(1921-08-02)August 2, 1921
Homer, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedMay 30, 1944(1944-05-30) (aged 22)[2]
Tiddische, Nazi Germany
Buried
Bethesaida Cemetery, Ida, Louisiana[2]
Allegiance United States
Service / branchU.S. Army Air Force
RankCaptain
Unit362d Fighter Squadron
Awards
Spouse(s)Mary (nee) Aline Adams[2]

Maj Fletcher Eugene Adams (August 2, 1921 – May 30, 1944)[4] was a U.S. Army Air Forces World War II flying ace who shot down nine enemy aircraft in the European theatre of World War II. Adams was murdered after being shot down.[5]

Early life

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He was married to Mary (nee) Aline[2] and they had a son in 1944 who they named Jerry.[6]

Career

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Photo of a WWII P-51. Adams flew a P-51B and he named the aircraft "Southern Belle".[7]

By 1944 Adams had shot down 7 enemy aircraft.[6]

But on May 30, 1944, Adams P-51B was attacked and shot down by 4 Bf-109s near Celle Air Base: he parachuted out of his aircraft and landed on the ground. Civilians on the ground killed him.[1] His fate was not known until after the war. After Adams surrendered to 3 Wehrmacht soldiers in Tiddische, Germany, two German nationals approached and took custody of him. Three men then took Adams into the woods and shot him several times. Witnesses saw the men standing over Adams' dead body after hearing gunshots. After the war, two of the men, Gustav Heidmann and Erich Schnelle, were prosecuted for their complicity in the murder of Adams. Heidmann was sentenced to death, while Schnelle was sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, Heidmann's sentence was reduced to life in prison, then to 20 years. He was paroled in 1954. Schnelle was released in 1950.[2][8]

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Fletcher Eugene Adams". American Air Museum. Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Archive report: US Forces 1941–1945". Aircrew Remembered. Aircrew Remembered. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b 113th Congress. "H.R.685 – American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act". Congress.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Rites Sunday for Victim of World War II". Shreveport Times. 10 June 1949. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Fletcher Eugene Adams". The Wall of Valor Project. Sightline Media Group. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Yank Gets Three Foes And a Jerry, New Son". Albany Capital. 31 August 1944. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  7. ^ Maddox, Joey (11 September 2009). Bleeding Sky: The Story of Captain Fletcher E Adams and the 357th Fighter Group (Illustrated ed.). Louisiana: Xlibris, Corp. p. 2. ISBN 978-1441555588.
  8. ^ "30.05.1944 362nd Fighter Squadron P-51B Mustang, 43-12468 'Southern Belle' Capt. Fletcher E. Adams DFC, Leiston, Bomber escort, Germany, War Crimes". Aircrew Remembered site. Retrieved 2023-02-07.


Further reading

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  • Hammel, Eric (2010) [1992]. Aces Against Japan. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 9781890988081.
  • Hammel, Eric (1998). Aces in Combat: The American Aces Speak. Vol. 5. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 0935553614.
  • Maddox, Joey (2009). Bleeding Sky: The Story of Captain Fletcher E Adams and the 357th Fighter Group. Vol. 5. Bloomington, Indiana: Xlibris, Corp. ISBN 978-1441555588.

Notes

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  1. ^ His flying Cross citation was given for his aerial combat while part of the 362d Fighter Squadron. During WWII he displayed skill and zeal in destroying the enemy.[5]


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