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Personal info

Full name
STRICKLAND, Jennis Morell Jr "Jack"
Date of birth
14 July 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Rocky Mount, Nash County, North Carolina
Hometown
Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland

Military service

Service number
O-797634
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
700th Bombardment Squadron,
445th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
24 March 1945
Place of death
Three miles southeast of Wesel, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
D 17 13

Immediate family

Members
Jennis M. Strickland Sr. (father)
Blanche L. (Hedrick) Byron (mother)
Justine I. (Whalen) Strickland (sister)
Harold Strickland (brother)
Kitty F. (Murray) Strickland (wife)
Jennis M. Strickland III (son)

Plane data

Serial number
42-51245
Data
Type: B-24J
Destination: Wesel, Germany
Mission: Supply drop
MACR: 13516

Biography

"Red Roses and Silver Wings", A WWII Memoir by Kitty Strickland Shore

More information

1st Lt Jennis M. Strickland Jr. attended high school for four years and was a clerk.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Baltimore, Maryland on 17 March 1942.

The mission of the day was dropping supplies for the ground troops, participating in Operation Varsity.

The airplane was hit by small arms fire when it was flying at 300 ft and caught fire. It crashed in flames and exploded. All ten crew members were killed.

According to the above mentioned book, Lt Strickland's brother Harold, an infantryman, witnessed the crash but did not know his brother was on board.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, www.findagrave.com - Russ Pickett, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Ancestors of Betty Hopper, www.fold3.com - MACR, http://tpssvoice.com/, Book: Red Roses and Silver Wings, Kitty Strickland Shore

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, http://tpssvoice.com/, www.americanairmuseum.com