Oscar Randolph Fladmark, Jr.

Oscar Randolph Fladmark, Jr. (June 23, 1922 - July 27, 1955) was an American fighter pilot who flew 164 "no-injury" combat missions in World War II and the Korean War. Fladmark received The Distinguished Flying Cross during his military career. Just a few years after the Korean War, Major Fladmark, at 33 years of age, was killed in a tragic automobile accident in Yuma, Arizona on July 27, 1955.

Early life
He was born in Moe Township, Lincoln County, South Dakota on June 23, 1922. His father, Oscar C. Fladmark, Sr., came from Alesund, Norway, located on the western coastal fjord region of the country, and had moved to South Dakota after 1900. His mother, Pethryn Hanson, was also of Scandinavian descent and came from Hudson, South Dakota. While growing up he had one younger sibling Lorentz W. Fladmark.

Oscar Fladmark, Jr. attended school in Canton, South Dakota. He was active in sports and became captain of his high school football team. Later, the family relocated to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he attended Augustana College in the 1940s.

World War II
During World War II, Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. was chosen an aviation cadet and to undergo training with the United States Army Air Corp. He trained at various military bases in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida and Virginia. He was inducted in June 1942 and was commissioned a second lieutenant and received his wings in the United States Army Air Corps in April 1943. He was transferred to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in England on August 20, 1943 for active duty with the 8th Air Force. Lieutenant Fladmark flew combat missions with the 359th Fighter Group, commanded by Colonel Avelin P. Tacon, Jr. and based at the RAF station in East Wretham, England. Initially, the group flew the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter, which was later replaced by the P-51 Mustang fighter. Fladmark flew combat mission strikes over Munich, Saarbrucken, Regensburg, Schweinfurt, Ebelsbach, Neuaubing, Hanover, Normandy, Mery, Oise River, Sens. St. Ouen and Genevilliers near Paris. On November 2, 1944, the Associated Press wired a report on the Battle of Merseburg near Leipzig, Germany. Fladmark was flying with an armada of 1100 bombers and 900 fighters when they encountered over 400 Luftwaffe fighters on the way to a combat mission near Berlin, Germany. During the Battle of Merseburg, over half of the Luftwaffe fighters were destroyed by the 8th Air Force, setting a new record.

In a newspaper interview Captain Fladmark stated "There just isn't anything like it -- like being home, that is -- according to Captain Oscar Fladmark, recently returned from completing 270 combat hours as a pilot of a P-51 Mustang fighter. Captain Fladmark was based in England with the Eighth Air Force. All in all, he completed 64 missions while he served across the seas. The missions averaged from four to five hours in length -- the longest was about 6 1/2 hours. The toughest raid of all took place on November 2 against Merseburg, Captain Fladmark said. Then the German Luftwaffe came up to meet them and they downed 200 of the enemy planes. They did considerable strafing of enemy installations too, he related. On these missions they were given a certain area and told to get everything of importance within the bounds. Then they flew low -- hedgehopping, they call it -- skimming over the country side, spraying the rail terminals, electric and telephone installations, anything that can hamper the movements of enemy troops. On trips like that they are good targets for the light guns of the enemy but he said it was the most exciting, really the most fun, of any of their work. He had two leaves overseas he thoroughly enjoyed, and both of them took him to Edinburg, Scotland. He liked Scotland much better than he did England. He had several passes to London too, and saw all the spots of international fame. They took the bus tours around. At Westminster Abbey they were particularly fortunate for a priest happened to be there just at that time and he took them over the building, explaining the history surrounding so many of the places. They saw the name plates of all the famous persons who were buried there. These names were engraved on the floor, on the walls and on the pillars. They saw the guard change at Buckingham Palace and that was very colorful and interesting. Of course they could not enter the Palace itself. To him, that was a peculiar fact. The British people pay the taxes for the support and upkeep of Buckingham Palace, yet they are never allowed to enter it as we enter the White House. England is old, he said. All the buildings are old. The English people seem to cherish things simply because they are old, not because they have any value or use. Their newspapers are quite different from ours too, he thought. The front page carried the stories of the government and other items of news interest. On the inside there seemed to be very little except items we would call gossip here. Stories that would never rate more than just a cold fact paragraph, if anything at all, in American papers would get half a column there. Captain Fladmark was sent overseas on troop ship and while the ocean was a little rough, he didn't mind the crossings, he said."

Captain Fladmark completed a total of 64 combat missions over Nazi Germany and received the Air Medal with ten Oak Leaf Clusters. After his tour of duty, he was transferred to the United States on January 24, 1945. He was stationed in Santa Ana, California until war's end. Captain Fladmark was discharged from the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1945 and returned to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Oscar Fladmark continued his education at Augustana College and also flew with Professor Robert Branson's aerobatic team of Flandreau, South Dakota.

Post World War II
The War Department authorized the establishment of Air National Guard units in all 48 states, with three units comprising a wing based in Sioux Falls, Sioux City and Des Moines, Iowa. The Air National Guard 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing was organized by Colonel Frederick C. Gray, Jr. who was a veteran of the RAF and 8th Air Force during World War II. Colonel Gray, based in Des Moines, Iowa, acted as wing senior instructor for the three Air National Guard units which comprised the wing. Col. Gray's appointment was made by Brigadier General Charles H. Grahl, Iowa Adjutant General, on June 26, 1946.

In 1946, Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. was appointed to the rank of captain and the duty of a flight commander with the Air National Guard 175th Fighter Squadron based in Sioux Falls. Captain Fladmark's appointment was approved by Colonel E.A. Beckwith, South Dakota Adjutant General in Rapid City, South Dakota on September 20, 1946.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Augustana College in Sioux Falls in 1948. He also worked for the local newspaper the Argus Leader.

Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. married Phyllis Peterson on November 13, 1950, at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls.

Korean War
Captain Oscar Fladmark was recalled into the Air Force on November 14, 1950, for training in jet fighters and a tour in the Korean War. In February 1951, Captain Fladmark reunited with a flying friend when he was assigned to the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, which was reactivated by Colonel Frederick Gray. The 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing was a component of the 5th Air Force, Far East Forces. During the Korean War, he flew 100 combat missions over North Korea. A report from Headquarters of the 13th Air Force at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, reads:

"Captain Oscar Fladmark, son of Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Fladmark, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and husband of Mrs. Phyllis Fladmark, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was recently awarded THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS. Assigned as a pilot for the 44th Fighter Bomber Squadron, Philippines Command (Air Force) and 13th Air Force, Clark Air Force Base, Philippines, Fladmark received the award for exceptionally meritorious service performed on April 24, leading a flight of four F-51 type aircraft on a close support mission, Fladmark displayed airmanship by leading his flight to the target area near Hwachon, Korea, in below marginal weather where the flight carried out a series of devastating attacks on the enemy. With Napalm rockets and machine guns, Fladmark led the flight in pass after pass on the enemy in hazardous mountainous terrain. Only after maximum results had been achieved did Fladmark reassemble his flight and proceed to his home base. Due to the nature of the target and the type of attack it was impossible to ascertain the exact destruction wrought on the enemy by Fladmark but the flight was credited with over 100 Communist troops killed. As a result of this highly successful mission the enemy's drive in the Hwachon area was greatly impeded."

Post-Korean War
Fladmark, upon his return from the Korean War, was accepted to an appointment at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota as Assistant Professor of Air Science and Tactics for the Reserve Officers Training Corps program. The Air Force subsequently reassigned him to active duty status, and he was stationed with the 85th Fighter Interceptor Group at Belleville, Illinois in September 1951. While there, his son, Gary L. Fladmark, was born. Later he was transferred to the 326th Fighter Intercepter Group, located in Grandview, Missouri, in June 1954. While there, daughter was born. In 1954, Captain Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. was given an award for exceeding the speed of sound in a North American F-86 Sabre fighter jet.

Death
In July 27, 1955, the Associated Press wired a report on an accident which read "S.F. Pilot Killed In Arizona Car Crash," Victim was not hurt in 164 missions. The Kansas City Star Newspaper Front Page Headlines (Above the Fold) wrote "CAR KILLS THREE AIRMEN." Major Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. 33, Sioux Falls pilot who flew 164 no-injury combat missions in two wars, was killed last night in an automobile accident near Yuma, Arizona. Major Fladmark, two other Air Force officers and a General Electric Gas Turbine Engineer who was driving a 1955 Ford Fairlane Hardtop Convertible at high rate of speed overturned killing the men. Major Fladmark was training with the 326th Fighter-Interceptor Group at Grandview, Missouri, Air Force Base, HQ-Central Air Defense Force. Major Fladmark was a Prote'ge' of Major General Jarred V. Crabb, Commander, Central Air Defense Force at the time of the accident.

Funeral Services
Major Fladmark, Sioux Falls pilot who had flown 164 combat missions during World War II and the Korean War without injury, was killed Tuesday night in a one-car accident near Yuma, Arizona. A former member of the Argus Leader Advertising department. Major Fladmark was training with the 326th Fighter-Interceptor Group at Grandview, Missouri, Air Force Base, HQ-Central Air Defense Force. While in Sioux Falls he was a Flight Commander of the Sioux Falls Air National Guard 175th Fighter Squadron holding the rank of Colonel.

Funeral services were held at First Lutheran Church at 2pm Tuesday for Major Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. 33 (Funeral Service was the Second Largest ever held at First Lutheran Church). Officiating the Funeral Service was the Reverend Robert Borgwardt. A Flight of Planes flew over the Hills of Rest Memorial Park in The Diamond Formation with the lead position left vacant which was the normal position where Major Fladmark flew. Military Rites were conducted at the graveside with Air Force personnel from St. Louis, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri and the Governor of South Dakota. Among his survivors were his wife Mrs. Phyllis M. Fladmark, son Gary L. Fladmark, daughter Vicki L. Fladmark, father Oscar C. Fladmark, Sr., mother Pethryn Fladmark and a brother Captain Lorentz W. Fladmark.

Memorials
A Memorial Bronze Plaque was dedicated to Major Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. in his memory at the Gilbert Science Center on the campus of Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD by his Father Oscar C. Fladmark, Sr. in 1965. Also, Major Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. biography is listed on the "Wall of Honor" at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Society facility near the Dulles International Airport, Fairfax, Virginia.

"Veterans Day Memorial" KSOO (AM) Radio Broadcast - Oscar C. Fladmark, Sr., (Father) Sioux Falls, South Dakota was a Radio Broadcaster/Business Owner who had served with General John Pershing's Allied Expeditionary Force, at the battles of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and St. Mihiel in 1917 to 1918 France during World War I gave Veterans Day Tribute. Oscar C. Fladmark, Sr. often dedicated his radio broadcasts to his son Major Oscar R. Fladmark, Jr. in his memory.

"History or South Dakota", University of Nebraska Press - Pethryn (Hanson) Fladmark, (Mother) Sioux Falls, South Dakota was related to Dr. Ernest O. Lawrence, native of Canton, South Dakota, who was awarded the a Nobel Prize in 1939 for his invention of the Cyclotron which, in turn, made possible the Atom Bomb. The brilliant scientist, who died in 1958, had the unique distinction of having lawrencium, the 103rd known chemical element, named for him.

Awards

 * 1) Distinguished Flying Cross (United States), Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg
 * 2) United Nations Korea Medal, United Nations Service Medal for Korea Ribbon.svg
 * 3) United Nations (UN) Korean Service Medal, KSMRib.svg
 * 4) National Defense Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
 * 5) Air Medal w/10 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal ribbon.svg
 * 6) American Campaign Medal - World War II (with three battle stars), American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
 * 7) European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal - World War II, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg
 * 8) World War II Victory Medal, World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg
 * 9) Presidential Unit Citation, Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg
 * 10) Charter Member of the South Dakota Air National Guard in 1946,
 * 11) "Mach Busters Club" Citation for exceeding the Speed of Sound in 1954 by North American Aviation Chairman of the Board James Howard Kindelberger and President John Leland Atwood