Lt. Kenneth M. Caldwell from the 8th Air force, the 389th Bombardment Group, and the 565th Bomb Squadron took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti with Col. Jack W. Wood, on 1 August 1943, flying a B-24D Liberator, 42-40629 named 'The Scorpion'. He and his crew survived the mission and returned home safely. Major Caldwell and Col. Wood both received Distinguished Service Cross medals for their gallantry in bombing their heavily defended targets at Campina, Ploesti.

Caldwell was shot down by FW190 fighters near Orleans, France in the B-24D 42-41013 named, 'Trouble'. Caldwell and his crew were killed in action (KIA), Jan 7, 1944.

Major Kenneth Marion Caldwell was the son of Elmer Elzie Caldwell and Florence Marion Knetzer Caldwell. Elmer and Florence had six children, all boys except for one. The baby of the family was a girl. Imagine how spoiled she was. Here are the Caldwell kids in order of birth:

CCM Ralph Henderson Caldwell, USN, WWII
Maj. Kenneth Marion Caldwell, AAF Bomb Group Pilot, WWII
Raymond J Caldwell
Lt. Col. Robert Dean Caldwell, USAF Pilot, WWII
Merritt Lee Caldwell
Helen Jean Caldwell Marshall

On 8 Dec 1941, Kenneth married Ruth Faye Anderson in Kansas City, Jackson, MO, USA. At the time he was serving a two year stint in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was stationed at Dartmouth, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

In early 1944, Mrs. Kenneth M. Caldwell got the news that her husband's plane had been shot down, and he, along with 9 others on his mission were Missing In Action, July 1, 1944.
- News Articles :
- The Kansas City Star Oct 1, 1943 : "Kansan Kenneth Caldwell Led Flight on Ploesti Raid",
Aug 1, 1943 : "Distinguished Service Cross Awarded To Maj. Ken
Caldwell"
- The Kansas City Star Jan 21, 1944 : Major Kenneth M. Caldwell Missing In Action
Major Kenneth M. Caldwell's DSC Citation Reads as follows :
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS -
DURING World War II
Service: Army Air Forces
Battalion: 565th Bombardment Squadron
Division: 9th Air Force
GENERAL ORDERS:
Headquarters, Ninth U.S. Army Air Force, General Orders No. 89 - 1943

CITATION:
- SYNOPSIS: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Army Air Corps Captain Kenneth Marion Caldwell, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a B-24 Heavy Bomber in the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group, NINTH Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 1 August 1943, against the Ploesti Oil Refineries in Rumania. During a long and hazardous attack against a vital enemy oil installation made at low altitude by a formation of B-24D type aircraft, Major Caldwell flew through heavy enemy fire against impossible odds, and then brought his crew safely back to base without the loss of a single man. The personal courage and zealous devotion to duty displayed by Captain Caldwell on this occasion, even when confronted with practically certain destruction, exemplified the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 9th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.

Service

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Kansas City , Kansas, USA	16 August 1914
Son of Elmer Elzie and Florence Marion [Knetzer] Caldwell.
Died	Orléans, France	7 January 1944
Shot down by FW 190 fighters near Orleans, France on 7 Jan 44 in B-24D 42-41013 'Trouble N' Mind' Killed in Action (KIA).
Buried	East Hill Cemetery, Erie Neosho County, KS	1948
East Hill Cemetery, Erie Neosho County, Kansas, USA.