Ernest C. Fiebelkorn

Ernest Charles Fiebelkorn
Ernest Charles Fiebelkorn
Nickname(s)	"Red", "Feeb"
Born	December 12, 1922; Pontiac, Michigan, U.S.
Died	July 6, 1950 (aged 27); Chongmong-ni, Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi, Korean Peninsula; (now South Korea)
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Army Air Forces (1942-1947); United States Air Force (1947-1950)
Years of service	1942–1950
Rank	Major
Unit	77th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group; 4th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group
Battles / wars	World War II; Korean War
Awards	Silver Star (2); Distinguished Flying Cross (3); Purple Heart; Air Medal (6)
Relations	June Allyn (wife)

Ernest Charles Fiebelkorn (December 12, 1922 – July 6, 1950) was a United States Army Air Force fighter ace who was credited with shooting down 9 aircraft during World War II, making him the highest scoring fighter ace of the 20th Fighter Group. He was killed in action in 1950, during the Korean War.^[2]^[4]

Early life

A grandson of German immigrants, he grew up in Lake Orion, Michigan and his father died when he was 14 years old, leaving Fiebelkorn and his four siblings to be raised by their mother. His mother did not allow him to join the U.S. Army Air Forces and instead she encouraged him to go to college. In 1941 he attended Michigan State College.^[1]

Military career

In May 1942, he left college and promptly enlisted in the reserves of the U.S. Army Air Corps on May 21, 1942, and entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on November 8, 1942. Fiebelkorn was commissioned a second lieutenant and awarded his pilot wings at Williams Army Air Field, Arizona, on August 30, 1943.^[2]

World War II

After completing P-38 Lightning training, he was assigned to the 79th and then the 77th Fighter Squadron of the 20th Fighter Group in the European Theater of Operations, in January 1944. Flying missions from RAF Kings Cliffe, he was promoted to first lieutenant in May 1944. He was credited with a shared aerial victory of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 over Reims, France on July 14, 1944.^[5]

In July 1944, the 20th FG converted to P-51 Mustangs. Fiebelkorn shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109 over Hamburg, Germany on August 5, his first solo victory. On September 28, Fiebelkorn shot down three Bf 109s and one Fw 190 over Magdeburg. For his actions, he was awarded the Silver Star. On October 6, he was sent to London to participate, alongside Countess Mountbatten on a radio broadcast of the American Broadcasting System, where he recounted his experiences in combat.^[1]^[6]

On November 2, during a bomber escort mission over Leipzig, Germany, he shot down three Bf 109s and was awarded a second Silver Star for the mission. On November 8, he shared in the destruction of a jet-powered Me 262, along with 1st Lieutenant Edward "Buddy" Haydon of the 357th Fighter Group. It was later discovered that the Me 262 had been piloted by German flying ace Major Walter Nowotny, who was credited with 258 aerial victories and was commander of Jagdgeschwader 7, the first operational jet fighter unit in the world.^[1]^[7]

During World War II, Fiebelkorn was credited with destroying 9 enemy aircraft in aerial combat plus 1 damaged, as well as 2 enemy aircraft on the ground while strafing enemy airfields. His younger brother Roger was killed in action during the war while serving with the 100th Infantry Division in France.^[8]^[1]

While serving with the 20th FG, he flew P-38J and P-51D bearing the name "June Nite", which were named after his wife June.^[1]

Post-war and Korea

After returning to the United States, Fiebelkorn served in airfields in California, Arizona, Washington and Oregon, from February 1945 until he left active duty on February 9, 1947.^[2]

He was recalled to active duty with the U.S. Air Force on December 2, 1947, and served with the 2nd Fighter Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Group at Mitchel Field, New York, from December 1947 to December 1948. Fiebelkorn was next assigned to the 82d Fighter Squadron at Hamilton Air Force Base, California, where he served from December 1948 to February 1949.^[2]

Fiebelkorn joined the 4th Fighter Squadron of the 51st Fighter Group at Naha Air Base, Japan, in April 1949. Following the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, he began flying missions in the F-82 Twin Mustang. On July 6, 1950, Fiebelkorn was flying as part of a four-ship element sent to locate and strafe advancing enemy ground forces through heavy low overcast at the Suwon-Seoul area. After hours of searching with no results, he reported that he was going to descend lower in the mountainous terrain hoping to find an opening in the dense cloud cover. Fiebelkorn and his radar operator Captain John J. Higgins were listed MIA when they failed to return to base.^[1]^[9]

In 1953, Fiebelkorn and Higgins' remains were found by UN troops on a mountainside approximately 40 miles north of Seoul. Fiebelkorn was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. He was also posthumously awarded a third Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor device. Fiebelkorn was survived by his wife June and son Eric.^[10]

Aerial victory credits

Date	#	Type	Location	Aircraft flown	Unit Assigned
July 14, 1944	0.5	Focke-Wulf Fw 190	Reims, France	P-38J Lightning	77 FS, 20 FG
August 5, 1944	1	Messerschmitt Bf 109	Hamburg, Germany	P-51D Mustang	77 FS, 20 FG
September 28, 1944	3	Bf 109	Magdeburg, Germany	P-51D Mustang	77 FS, 20 FG
September 28, 1944	1	Fw 190	Magdeburg, Germany	P-51D Mustang	77 FS, 20 FG
November 2, 1944	3	Bf 109	Leipzig, Germany	P-51D Mustang	77 FS, 20 FG
November 8, 1944	0.5	Messerschmitt Me 262	Dümmer Lake, Germany	P-51D Mustang	77 FS, 20 FG

SOURCES: Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II

Awards and decorations

His awards include:^[2]

USAF Pilot Badge
	Silver Star with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Distinguished Flying Cross with 'V' device and two bronze oak leaf clusters^{[N 1]}
	Purple Heart
	Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
	American Campaign Medal
	European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze campaign stars
	World War II Victory Medal
	Army of Occupation Medal with 'Japan' clasp
	National Defense Service Medal
	Korean Service Medal
	Air Force Longevity Service Award
	French Croix de Guerre with silver star
	Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
	United Nations Service Medal for Korea
	Korean War Service Medal^{[N 2]}

Congressional Gold Medal (2015)^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Ernest C. "Red" Fiebelkorn, Jr". War Birds Resource group. U.S.A.A.F. Resource Center. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Ernest C. Fiebelkorn". Veteran Tributes. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
^ "Ernest Charles Fiebelkorn". American Battle Monuments Commission. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
^ Chapis, Stephan; Thomas, Andrew (19 December 2017). Allied Jet Killer of World War II. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. p. 32. ISBN 978-1472823526. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
^ "Ernest C. "Red" Fiebelkorn, Jr". www.geocities.ws. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
^ Mike Murray (2018-12-28). "The Michigan Giant". Key.Aero. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
^ Dario Leone (2019-11-08). "The First Engagement Between a P-51 and an Me 262 and the Death of Luftwaffe Ace Walter Nowotny". The Aviation Geek Club. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
^ "Ernest C. Fiebelkorn". Ciel de Glorie. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
^ Alan C. Carey (24 February 2014). Twin Mustang: The North American F-82 at War. Pen and Sword. p. 89. ISBN 9781783462216. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
^ "Maj. Ernest Charles Fiebelkorn". The National Gold Star Family Registry. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
^ 113th Congress. "H.R.685 - American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act". Congress.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Notes

^ His third flying Cross citation states he displayed heroism in aerial combat while at the controls of an F-82 July 6, 1950. His mission was to strafe enemy tanks which had breached the line. He had to fly under the poor weather and attempt to engage the enemy. He and his aircraft went missing on the mission.^[2]
^ In 2000 this award was made retroactive to all U.S. military personnel who served in the Korean War.