Memorial

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Capt Charles M. Mead was a sales clerk at the Monson-Dunnegan-Ryan Company before he joined the Regular Army on 20 August 1941.

2nd Lt Gordon H. Chenez:
I was flying Lt Mead’s wing. We were in formation proceeding to the target, when Lt Mead suddenly broke away and began a reciprocal course. He did not say anything on the R/T at the time, but I could see that he was in trouble because of coolant trailing from his engine. Lt Trester and Lt Blizzard, they remainder of the flight also noticed it. Lt Trester called Lt Mead and told him of the coolant, he also asked if he was going to make friendly territory. Lt Mead said he would try if possible. We flew, beginning at an altitude of 25,000 feet, for approximately five minutes. Lt Mead constantly lost altitude, until at about 18,000 feet, began a dive. As he pulled up from the short dive, the plane rolled over in an inverted position and I saw the canopy come off. The plane continued in a spin and I lost sight of it. I did not see Lt Mead’s body fall out, nor his parachute open. This was at approximately 1230 hours in the vicinity just southwest of Koblenz, Germany.