The promotion of Clifford N. Kirkpatrick, 22, of Grand River, to staff sergeant was recently announced at the eight AAF bomber command station in England. Sergeant Kirkpatrick, a Flying Fortress waist gunner, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Orel L. [and Lois] Kirkpatrick, Grand River. Since being assigned to one of the pioneer American bombardment groups in the European air war, he has made eight day-light missions over the continent.
Before joining the AAF, he was an aircraft metal worker for the Hayes Manufacturing company, Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was graduated from Cainsville, Missouri, high school in 1939 and attended Chillicothe, Missouri, business college.
Source: The Leon Journal-Reporter, January, 1944
Obituary ~ S/Sgt. Clifford "Neil" Kirkpatrick
April 17, 1921 ~ February 4, 1944
Clifford Neil Kirkpatrick, only child of Orel and Lois Kirkpatrick, was born near Saline, Missouri on April 17, 1921, and gave his life in defense of his country on February 4, 1944, being 23 years, 10 months and 13 days old at the time of his death.
He attended rural school in Mercer county, Missouri and graduated from Cainsville high school in 1939. He also attended the Chillicothe Business school. He completed a course in aeronautics at the American Aeronautic school at Kansas City.
Most of his life was spent in Mercer county and on September 10, 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air force at Des Moines, Iowa, and left for over seas duty on September 13, 1943, and was based at Cambridge, England.
Neil was a gunner on a B-17 bomber. After several missions over Europe, he was reported missing in action in Germany on February 4, 1944.
Neil was a devoted son and a friend to all who knew him. He is survived by his father and mother, a grandmother Mrs. Margret Griffin and a host of other relatives and friends.
Services were held at the Bethel church Monday, June 6, 1949 at 2:00 o’clock p. m. conducted by V. F. Walker of Princeton, Mo., with burial in the Bethel cemetery [Mercer Co. MO]. The Legion posts of Grand River, Iowa and Cainsville, Mo. were in charge.
The pallbearers were Ernest Wilson, Carol Kirk, Kenneth Booth, Vaughn Knight, Ivan Hays, Tarel Arnot. The flower girls were Wilma Frisbie, Wilma Munyon, Ann Van Lar, Betty Mills, Joy Fay Crees, Winona Meek.
Source: Leon Journal-Reporter, Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, June 09, 1949
