Robert W Stephens flew 80 combat missions over Germany in World War II and had a total of 241 combat hours.
He enlisted in Feb 1942 and by 1944 had advanced to the rank of Lt Colonel and was commander of a P-51 Mustang fighter squadron.
Before the war, he was a short-stop and pitcher for baseball teams at Bowling Green, Ky., and Evansville, Ind., which were farm clubs for the Boston Braves.
He remained in the Air Force after the war and was promoted to Colonel in 1955. Since the war he had served at bases in Germany, Italy, and Turkey as well as in the United States. He was a wing commander at George AFB, CA before his appointment as director of inspection for the Tactical Air Command.
He was killed in a crash of an F-100 jet fighter just after taking off from Cannon AFB, NM. Killed with him in the crash was Lt. L. W. Emerson, 26, Alhambra, Calif. The plane was about a half mile from the end of the runway and about 300 feet high when engine trouble apparently developed, an Air Force spokesman said. It crashed into a slaughter house lot hitting two discarded railway box cars.
During 18 years of service, Colonel Stephens had flown more than 3,300 hours and had been awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 21 Oak Leaf Clusters, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Bronze Service Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, National Defense Service Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem with one Oak Leaf Cluster and Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with three Oak Leaf Clusters. In addition, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Silver Gilt Star by the French Government.

Service

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Saint Louis, MO, USA	1921
Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
Enlisted	Saint Louis, MO, USA	19 February 1942
Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
Enlisted	Missouri, USA	19 February 1942
February 19, 1942.
Graduated earning his wings	Luke Airport, Vestal, NY 13850, USA	29 September 1942
September 29, 1942, about the same time he would have been winding up his second season in professional baseball, Bob Stephens earned his wings and an Army Air Force commission at Luke Field.
Shipped Overseas	New Jersey, USA	20 October 1943
20th October 1943, the squadron departed aboard the liner Athlone Castle as part of a large convoy bound for Great Britain.
Arrived in ETO	Liverpool, Merseyside, UK	3 November 1943
3rd Nov 1943, the Athlone Castle docked at Liverpool in northwest England.
Last sortie in ETO	Brittany, France	28 August 1944
28th August 1944 was to be Stephens' last sortie in Europe after nine months in the combat zone. In his typical style, he destroyed yet another Me 109 bringing his confirmed total to an incredible 13 kills and claiming his position as leading ace of the 355th Fighter Squadron. During his time in Europe, Major Stephens had flown over 233 hours during 122 missions.
Returned Home	United States	September 1944
Returned home to the United States in September 1944.
Died	Cannon Air Force Base (CVS), Cannon Air Force Base: Commissary, 110 E. Sextant ave, Cannon Air Force Base, NM 88101, USA	6 April 1960
Killed in a crash of an F-100 jet fighter just after taking off from Cannon AFB, NM. Killed with him in the crash was Lt. L. W. Emerson, 26, Alhambra, Calif. The plane was about a half mile from the end of the runway and about 300 feet high when engine trouble apparently developed.
Lived in	Missouri, USA
Missouri, USA.
Buried	Jefferson Barracks, 533 Grant Road, Saint Louis, MO 63125, USA
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.