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| Lt. Gordon Fanders was an L-4 Piper Cub pilot who provided aerial observation for the 56th Field Artillery Battalion. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/120252188/gordon-elton-fanders http://www.database-memoire.eu/prive/en-us/st-james-all-soldiers/119-st-james-r-us/3376-roberts-rufus-l-56-fab-8-id |
Gordon Elton Fanders never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on August 3, 1919 in Diller, Nebraska. His parents Dederick and Malissa were also both born in Nebraska. His father worked as a garage mechanic and later a garage manager. His mother worked as a school teacher. Gordon had an older brother and a twin sister. By 1940 he had completed four years of high school. He moved twenty miles from Diller to Beatrice, Nebraska. He found a place to live as a lodger and found a job as a drugstore clerk.
He enlisted in the army in July 1942. He was commissioned as an officer and became a sergeant in the 56th Field Artillery Battalion. He was trained to be an L-4 Piper Cub pilot. A March 1944 newspaper article mentions Sgt. Fanders was married but does not show the name of his wife. At some point soon after, Sgt. Fanders was promoted to first lieutenant. He and his unit arrived in Normandy on July 3, 1944.
On August 9, 1944, the 56th FAB was providing artillery support to the 121st Combat Team, 83rd Infantry Division which was cut off by Germans near Dinard, France. The 56th's 105mm howitzers targeted a ring of fire around the surrounded troops, keeping the Germans from getting close enough to wipe them out. Lt. Fanders volunteered to take his observation plane over the cut-off troops to drop needed blood plasma from just a few feet off the ground. Unfortunately, after dropping off the supplies, his plane was a clear target for the Germans. One source says his plane was shot down by flak but another source says it collided in midair with another liaison plane that also dropped supplies. All four officers were killed. He was posthumously awarded the Air Medal.
His grave is at Prairie Home Cemetery in Diller, Nebraska.
Last year on this date I profiled B-17 waist gunner Clarence Gallamore. You can read about Clarence here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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