We Shall Not Forget: Ronald and Roy Carlson
Editor’s Note: Thank you Gordon Arnold, Dorothy Arnold and Robert Carlson for the information necessary to write this article.
Born two years apart in Red Oak to Swedish immigrant Linus Gustaf Carlson and Florence Mainquist Carlson, brothers Roland “Ronnie” and Roy Carlson would both serve during World War II.
While Roy would have a prestigious career in the military, retiring as a Colonel in the United States Air Force, older brother Ronnie would die in a plane crash less than six months after arriving in Europe during WWII.
Two brothers, two goals, two separate outcomes.
“Carlson Missing on Raid” read the headline in the April 27, 1944 edition of The Red Oak Express. Sergeant Ronald L. Carlson, 24, a 1937 graduate of Red Oak High School, was missing in action after a bombing raid in Germany.
When World War II broke out, Ronnie was living in Buffalo, Minn., with his uncle. He applied and was accepted into the Naval Aviation Cadet program, but washed out late in the program during the carrier and landing phase. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps at Fort Snelling, Minn. on Dec. 2, 1942.
Basic training was completed at Basic Training Center No. 6 in St. Petersburg, Fla. He was then sent to advanced trainings in Amarillo, Texas; Kingman, Ariz.; and final training November to December 1943 in Sioux City.
Ronnie shipped out Dec. 29, 1943 to the European Theatre, arriving in January 1944. He was assigned to the 95th Bomb Group, 412th Bomb Squadron, with the base near Horham, Suffolk, England. The bomb group’s first combat mission was Feb. 25, 1944, to Regensburg, Germany.
In one of the last letters sent home, Ronnie wrote to his parents they had completed 15 missions over Europe on the bomber, “Heaven Can Wait,” where he was a waist gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress.
On the crew’s fateful, final mission, April 11, 1944, the target was supposed to be Poznan, Poland. Weather conditions began to deteriorate on the way there, resulting in the decision to abandon the primary target. In the process of deciding what to do with the bombs, the bombing formation came across intense fighter attack. Ronnie’s plane was shot down by an enemy fighter and crashed near the village of Bandelsorf, Germany. The 95th lost seven B-17s that day, according to family records.
Roy discovered Ronnie had been killed in action when he went to visit him on base and found his bedding rolled up on his billet. Ronnie was buried in the Rostock Cemetery and after the war, he was moved to the U.S. Military Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium. In 1948, Congress authorized bodies of those servicemen to be returned to the U.S. Ronnie’s body was returned and laid to rest in Red Oak. It was Roy who escorted the body home.
Ronnie was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. He held the rank of staff sergeant at the time of his death.
Roy was born in Red Oak on Jan. 14, 1922 and attended school in Red Oak through the eighth grade. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1939 and worked for a year as a shoe salesman in Council Bluffs. He then traveled to San Diego, where his father was living with his second wife. Roy worked as a parks clerk at Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp until war broke out.
Wanting to serve his country, he was accepted into aviation cadet training and enlisted in the Army April 25, 1942.
Primary flight training took place in Oklahoma City, followed by basic flight training at Coffeeville Army Air Field, Kansas. Advanced flight training was completed at Foster Field near Victoria, Texas. Roy earned his wings and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army. He was assigned to 1st Air Force, 1st Fighter Command Mitchell Field, New York. From there, he was assigned to Westover Field, Mass., to begin transition training. During transition training, pilots are taught in the plane they will fly in combat – RP-47C (P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter/Bomber) as a member of the 320th Fighter Squadron 326th Fighter Group.
Instrument school was at Bryan Air Field, Texas, to learn how to operate in adverse weather conditions. He retuned to Westover and was transferred to the 397th Fighter Squadron of the 368th Fighter Group. His final stateside mission was in December 1943, when he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He spent New Year’s Eve and New Years about the S.S. Argentina enroute to Greenook, Scotland for combat operations.
Stationed at Greenook Common, the 368th began tactical training program to prepare them for combat. On March 14, 1944, the 368th began flying combat missions. Their first unit base was Chellbolton, a former Royal Air Force Base near Winchester.
In March 1944, Ronnie’s bomb group was escorted on a bombing mission by Roy’s unit. Neither brother realized it until after the mission had been completed. Roy and Ronnie were together in London in early 1944; had their photo taken together and from talking, realized they had been on the same mission
A typical mission for bombing and staffing targets in France and Belgium took two hours; with bombing escort missions three hours or more.
On June 6, 1944, Roy flew a two hour, 15 minute mission over the invasion beaches, mainly in the vicinity of Omaha Beach. The 368th was instrumental in providing air support to the Omaha beachhead.
Following the mission, Roy was promoted to Captain and the unit moved to Belgium. Roy flew combat missions in Belgium until December 1944, when he received orders for 30 days leave in the States. While he was on leave, the German Army launched its greatest counter offensive of the war – The Battle of the Bulge.
During his leave, the unit moved to Metz, France, but he would join back when them once leave was over.
By February 1945, Roy was a Flight Commander and then assigned Operations Officer of the 395th Panzer Dusters in April 1945. On April 16, Roy led the 395th on an armed reconnaissance mission in the Pilsen area, where 11 moving locomotives and numerous other vehicles were destroyed. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts that particular day.
Roy’s final combat mission was flown from Frankfurt, Germany on May 3 1945. The German command would surrender six days later. With the war over, Roy remained in Germany until August 23. He was promoted to Major on Sept. 1, 1945. During WWII, he flew 125 combat missions totaling 358.2 hours.
Following the war, he was stationed in Spain, Okinawa and Vietnam, where he also flew combat mission. However, family records don’t include any specifics. However, it did say he commanded the 15th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base from 1967-68. He retired from the service in 1972.
He was awarded the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal 19 OLC, the Bronze Star, Belgium Order of Leopold, Belgium Croix de Guerre and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross. Throughout his career, he flew 169 combat missions.