First Lieutenant
United States Air Force
Thomas John Fiedler, the only son of Carl and Irene Fiedler, was born on 18 November 1941.
Thomas graduated from Saint Mary’s Catholic Grade School, Assumption High School (Class of 1959), and the United States Air Force Academy (Class of 1963) where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. While in high school, Thomas was involved with the Student Government. He was elected secretary during his junior year at Saint Ambrose Academy and Assumption High School’s first Student Government President during his senior year. He was a letter winner in basketball, football, and baseball. Thomas was selected as a representative to the Iowa American Legion Hawkeye Boys State Program and was the 1959 Bechtel Award recipient.
While at the Air Force Academy, Thomas was a member of the Commandant’s List, Dean’s List, and the Superintendent’s Merit List. He served as president of the Academy Gun Club and was an officer of the Academy Ski Club. Thomas was the commander of the 21st Squadron, which was named the 1963 Honor Squadron at commencement. President John F. Kennedy was the 1963 commencement speaker. After graduation, Thomas was assigned to Williams Air Force Base, Arizona for flight training. In the fall of 1964, he was awarded his silver pilot wings. Thomas’ first duty station was at Otis Air Force Base (located near Falmouth, Massachusetts) where he was assigned to the 961st Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, 551st Airborne and Early Warning Wing as a co-pilot on a EC-121H radar patrol plane.
On Sunday 11 July 1965, at 9:30 p.m. Thomas’ aircraft left Otis Air Force Base where it reached its patrol station about 30 minutes later. At 10:15 p.m. the pilot radioed that he was shutting down, or feathering, the inboard engine on the left wing. Shortly afterward he notified Otis Air Force Base that the inboard engine on the right wing was on fire. The last words from the pilot were; “Altitude 200 feet. I am ditching.”
The morning of 12 July, Thomas’ parents received word from Otis Air Force Base that Thomas was a member of the crew. Three survivors, kept afloat by their life jackets for nearly 12 hours, were rescued by helicopter and put aboard a German ship. The aircraft went down about 145 miles east northeast of Nantucket Island. Major General Von R. Shores, Commander of the 26th Air Division, authorized a board of inquiry to investigate the crash. Articles about the crash that resulted in the loss of 16 other officers and airmen from drowning or missing, can be found at http://www.dean-boys.com/extras/lost/136.htm.
Thomas was survived by his parents and his three proud sisters; Shirley Harris (deceased, January 2003), Mary Lou Hein (deceased, May 2002), and Betty Mair.
On 24 July 1965, First Lieutenant Thomas John Fiedler, United States Air Force, was listed as missing and presumed dead. On that day, a memorial service was held at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Davenport with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. J.D. Conway presiding. Otis Air Force Base and Truax Air Force Base provided the final salute.
The Thomas J. Fiedler ’59 Scholarship was established in 2000 at Assumption High School and funded by his family as a memorial to Thomas and his parents, Carl and Irene Fiedler. It awards a $500 scholarship each year to a student based on financial need. The recipient must be a “positive voice” among his/her classmates, in good academic standing and actively involved in community service (human needs, education, or the environment). An application to the Assumption Student Fund is required. This scholarship is usually awarded in September of each year.
Perhaps it was the late John O’Donnell, sports writer for the Davenport times Democrat, who best described the personal qualities of Thomas in his 25 July 1965 column:
“Thomas was the all-around boy of whom everybody was proud… He was the type of young man that his country wanted and needed in a key post in the future… he knew exactly what he wanted in life… He was faithful to his desires, and he had the good moral character to pray for strength… was a young man who had done everything so well, who wanted to serve his country in the best possible way… in athletics, in the class room, on the campus at the Air Force Academy, and then as an officer, he was truly the fine example of an All-American boy… his life was cut short, but while he lived, he was a solid credit to his family, his country, his school, his church… He did his best…”
Source of Information:
1. Davenport Democrat and Times, 13 July 1965, page 1.
2. Davenport Democrat and Times, 18 July 1965, page 1.
3. Davenport Democrat and Times, 24 July 1965, page 13.
4. e-Mail from Kathleen Anderson on 3 August 2004. Kathleen is Thomas' niece.
5. Air Force Commendation Medal citation provided by Kathleen Anderson.
6. A. J. Northrup, Fifty Fallen Stars, 1998.
CITATION TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF
AIR FORCE COMMENDATION MEDAL
(POSTHUMOUS)
TO
THOMAS J. FIEDLER
First Lieutenant Thomas J. Fiedler distinguished himself by meritorious achievement as First Pilot while participating in aerial flight approximately 100 nautical miles east of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts on 11 July 1965. On that date, Lieutenant Fiedler was piloting an EC-121-H aircraft engaged in an active air defense mission, when at 2200 hours, compounding in-flight emergencies resulting from a fire in the accessory section of number 3 engine and an additional malfunction in number 2 engine, necessitated ditching the aircraft at sea. Lieutenant Fiedler, at great personal risk, assisted in maneuvering the aircraft through extremely adverse weather and zero visibility to impact. Although Lieutenant Fiedler lost his life in the ditching, twelve crew members were able in one manner or another, to escape the ditched aircraft. The professional skill and airmanship displayed by Lieutenant Fiedler, reflect credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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