From Victoria, TX, Lt. Elmer N. Dunlap enlisted in Alva, OK, on 16 September 1940. Assigned to the 370th Fighter Squadron on 19 December 1943, he was shot down on his 34th combat mission with the 359th Fighter Group, 11 April 1944. Taken prisoner, Lt. Dunlap was liberated from Stalag 1 on 30 April 1945.



11 April 1944: Briefing 0745 for Ramrod Penetration mission. Sixteen planes participated. One pilot returned early. Escort provided to bombers from Holdorf to Fallersleben. Here 1107 hours several E/A attacked bombers, and here Lt. Kibler, Leader of Red Flight, fired at and damaged one Me 109, and Lt. Doersch, Red Three, fired at and destroyed one FW 190. White and Blue Flights, turning back on a course toward Brunswick, strafed an A/D near there at Wolkenrod, destroying and damaging a number of E/A. Yellow Flight, led by Capt. Smith, strafed an A/D near Gutersloh, also destroying and damaging E/A. Prior to strafing this A/D, Yellow Flight had escorted two straggling bombers, abandoning escort at scene of strafing, and after strafing, proceeded to Base singly. Lt. Smith, Yellow Four, is know to have bailed out over Belgium because of fuel shortage. Lt. Dunlap, Blue Two, was last seen in the combat area over Fallersleben, and it is probable that he was lost because of enemy action. Lt. Callahan landed at Manston, his A/C damaged by flak, Category. "A". Lt. Ambrose had one bullet hole in the left wing of his airplane, Category "A."



Crashed near Fallersleben on 11 Apr 44 no despcription of what happened in MACR in P-47 #4245079



Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), ADSM, ACM, EAME w/at least one bronze service star, WW II Victory Medal for service during WW II and upon application, the Prisoner of War Medal with the rank of First Lieutenant.



He continued serving as a fighter pilot in Korea earning another DFC, 3 more Oak Leaf Clusters to the Air Medal and several service awards as a Captain. He retired as a Lt Col.