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Personal info

Full name
HIRO, Edwin Walfred
Date of birth
13 August 1916
Age
28
Place of birth
Chisholm, Saint Louis County, Minnesota
Hometown
Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Military service

Service number
O-728661
Rank
Major
Function
Pilot
Unit
363rd Fighter Squadron,
357th Fighter Group
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
19 September 1944
Place of death
Vreden, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
John W. Hiro (father)
Lempi (Sikkila) Horo (mother)
Elsie D. Hiro (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
44-13518
Data
Type: P-51D
Nickname: Horses Itch
Destination: Vicinity of Arnhem, the Netherlands
Mission: Area Support
MACR: 8796

More information

Edwin Hiro attended college.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, on 26 January 1942.

Statement of F/O Johnnie L. Carter who flew in the same mission: "At about 1720 we were flying at about 13,000 in a direction of south about 10 miles west of Arnhem. We saw about 10 enemy planes engaged in a fight with about 15 of our airplanes. We dropped our tanks and went into a diving turn to the left. I was on Major Hiro's wing when we entered the fight, but was forced to break up and slightly out to avoid hitting a ship coming head-on. Major Hiro made a sharp turn to the left and got on the tail of an enemy ship. There were so many planes in the Lufberry that I had to pull out and over to get back in position on Major Hiro's wing.
About this time, the plane that I thought was Major Hiro broke out and headed for the deck on the tail of a 109. I took out after him and tried to catch them. I followed them all the way to the deck and saw the 109 crash in flames. Major Hiro pulled up into a steep chandelle and got in with a bunch of other ships that were still milling around. Due to my being quite a ways behind and in poor visibility when I joined up with one of these ships, I had gotten the wrong ship. I broke off immediately and tried to find my position, but there were so many in the area that I was unable to find Major Hiro.
About this time, I heard him call our flight and ask our position, and tried to give his own. There was so much talk on the radio that we could not get each other's position. About this time, recall was given, and I thought my best bet was to stay with the ships in the area to come home. I joined one of the flights and returned to base. When I landed, I found that Major Hiro had not returned."

Luftwaffe reports attached to Hiro's Missing Aircrew Report tell that a Mustang crashed at Vreden, Germany, shot down by a fighter. The pilot was dead and was buried in the local Catholic cemetery.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, National WWII Memorial, Footnote, www.fold3.com - WWII Draft Card, www.findagrave.com

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Merle Olmsted, Jori Videc, Gerrie Franken - SOHE, Arie-Jan van Hees - Pilot Class Book 42-H, Chico AAF, California