Allen J. Diefendorf was a graduate of Class 43-J, Foster Field, Texas. After further training in California, he sailed to England on the HMS Aquitania. He docked at Glasgow on July 24th, and joined the 367th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force. He arrived in France on August 17th. His first combat took place on August 22nd, when, flying a P-38 over the Loan area, he shared an FW-190, and shot down an unconfirmed ME-109.
He took part in Montgomery's ill-conceived Market Garden airborne operation, as the 367th Fighter Group took part in flak suppression and ground support operations.
The 367th, as part of the IX TAC, supported First Army, and at times Third Army, in the drive across France and into Germany. During the Battle of the Bulge, the 367th was transferred to XIX TAC for the rest of the war, supporting Patton's Third Army.
On March 19, 1945, and flying P-47s now, Lt. Diefendorf led an attack on the German Commander-in-Chief West headquarters to Ziegenburg Castle, outside of Bad Nauheim. Kesselring, along with Albert Speer, managed to duck into a tunnel, so escaped harm.
Beginning on April 11th, Lt. Diefendorf began a stint as a Forward Air Controller for the 6th, and then the 14th Armored Divisions. He visited Stalag Luft III A when it was liberated, Dachau Concentration when it too was liberated, and tried to start up a JU-87 Stuka at a German airfield at Muhldorf - it didn't start.
He was at Trostberg when the war ended.
He flew home in June aboard a C-46.
Diefendorf flew an F80C in combat in Korea before being court martialed, and then promoted, for strafing a Soviet airfield - accidentally of course.
He commanded a squadron of F4C Phantoms in Vietnam (557thTFS), flying out of Cam Rahn Bay.
He ended his career working for Robin Olds and Chuck Yeager at Norton AFB, California. He retired in 1975, and passed away in 1996. Colonel Diefendorf is buried at Riverside National Cemetery.

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