Donald Nathan Aldrich (24 October 1917 – 3 May 1947) was a

United States Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned pe ...

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and World War II

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

. With 20 victories, Aldrich was the fifth-highest-scoring Marine Corps ace of the war. He joined the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

after the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ...

refused him because he was married. Aldrich became an instructor pilot and transferred to the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...

in late 1942. He joined

VMF-215 Marine Fighting Squadron 215 (VMF-215) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was commissioned and fought during World War II. Known as "The Fighting Corsairs", the squadron fought in many areas of the Pacific War, including ...

in the

Solomon Islands campaign The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea ...

in June 1943, flying the

Vought F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contract ...

. Aldrich added to his 20 victories in three combat tours with six probables, the highest total number of probables in the Marine Corps. Postwar, Aldrich continued to serve in the Marine Corps and was killed in a 1947 plane crash.

Early life

Aldrich was born on 24 October 1917 in

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Islan ...

, to Lyell and Mary Aldrich. When he was eighteen months old, he and his family moved to Chicago. His father, a mechanical engineer, owned a

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the s ...

biplane and introduced his son to flying from an early age. Aldrich was reported by one contemporary news report to have flown a hundred hours by age 12. Aldrich played football at Fenger High School, graduating in 1934. After his father died in 1933, his family was forced to sell the Waco, and Aldrich enrolled in the Armour Institute to study engineering. He dropped out after two years and worked in the Visking office, taking flying lessons. Aldrich married Marjorie in 1940.

Military service

Aldridge unsuccessfully attempted to join the

, but was declined as they did not accept married men at the time. In February 1941, Aldrich joined the

, receiving his wings in November. He then served as an instructor pilot. He subsequently was commission a

2nd lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 19 ...

in the U.S. Marine Corps on 14 May 1942. He transferred to the

in October 1942.

World War II

Aldrich became a captain in June 1943 and joined

as a division leader, flying the

, in the

. On 12 August he shot down a

Mitsubishi A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was ...

and claimed a probable near Ballale on a bomber escort mission. Lightly wounded on 21 August, Aldrich claimed another Zero and a probable on 25 August on another bomber escort mission. On 26 August, during a bomber escort mission, the formation was attacked by 20 Japanese fighters. Aldrich was wounded in his head and right eye and his plane was badly damaged in the engagement. Despite his wounds, he was able to down a Zero. For his actions, Aldrich was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. On 2 September he downed his fourth and fifth victories over Ballale, becoming an ace. Aldrich served on a second tour with the squadron without scoring victories. On his third tour, Aldrich claimed fifteen victories in less than four weeks. On 20 and 26 January, escorting bombers on attacks on the strongly defended Vunakanau Airfield and Lakunai Airfield, Aldrich destroyed four Japanese aircraft. Returning from an escort mission, Aldrich and his wingman saw five Zeroes attacking a VMF-215 pilot in the process of bailing out, and drove the Zeroes away, enabling the pilot to make a safe landing. On 28 January 1944, he shot down four Zeroes over Tobera and was wounded. His Corsair was too damaged to repair and was written off. On 9 February he downed a Nakajima Ki-44 Tojo south of Tobera, his twentieth victory. Aldrich was the fourth and last Marine ace to reach twenty victories and the fifth highest scoring. His six probables were the highest number of probable victories in the Marine Corps. By the end of the tour, Aldrich had also been awarded the

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

. For his actions during the third tour, he was awarded the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

on 20 July. Aldrich returned home to Chicago on leave after the end of his tour. By May 1944 Aldrich was assigned to VMF-481, training Corsair pilots at

Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located next to the community of El Toro, near Irvine, California. Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps Aviation on the West Coast ...

. In February 1945, his son, Frederick Bruce, was born.

Postwar & death

Aldrich continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve postwar. He had almost 2,400 hours of flying time by early 1947. Stationed at

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (*) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, United States, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 and ...

, he was temporarily detailed to Quantico for a special training course. On 3 May, Aldrich was given leave to visit his family in Chicago, but encountered engine trouble while en route to

Naval Air Station Glenview Naval Air Station Glenview or NAS Glenview was an operational U.S. Naval Air Station from 1923 to 1995. Located in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, the air base primarily operated training aircraft as well as seaplanes on nearby Lake Mi ...

. He attempted to land at Ashburn Airport, which was closed due to mud. His Corsair flipped over when its wheels touched the ground and Aldrich was killed. He was buried at the

Oak Woods Cemetery Oak Woods Cemetery is a large lawn cemetery in Chicago, Illinois. Located at 1035 E. 67th Street, in the Greater Grand Crossing area of Chicago's South Side. Established on February 12, 1853, it covers . Oak Woods is the final resting place o ...

Military decorations

His awards include:

Navy Cross citation

Citation:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain Donald Nathan Aldrich (MCSN: 0-11256), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Division Leader and a Pilot of Marine Fighting Squadron TWO HUNDRED FIFTEEN (VMF-215), Marine Air Group FOURTEEN (MAG-14), FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in aerial combat against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands and Bismarck Archipelago Areas, from 5 January 1944 to 15 February 1944. Intercepted by vastly superior numbers of enemy aircraft while flying escort for our bombers during strikes over the strongly defended Vunakanau and Lakunai Airfields on 20 and 26 January, Captain Aldrich fought gallantly against tremendous odds, immediately plunging to the attack and destroying four of the hostile planes. Returning from an escort mission deep in enemy territory, he and his wingman observed five Zeros attacking one of the pilots of his formation parachuting from a damaged plane, and hurling themselves at the enemy with a fury that balanced the unequal odds, drove the Zeros away, enabling the pilot to make a safe landing. Disregarding severe personal wounds and damage inflicted on his plane during an escort mission over Tobera Airfield on 28 January, he continued the fierce engagement despite overwhelming aerial opposition and shot four hostile craft from the sky. Destroying a total of fifteen Japanese aircraft during this period of intense aerial operations, he contributed essentially to the protection afforded our bombers and his bold tactics and brilliant combat record reflects the highest credit upon Captain Aldrich and the United States Naval Service.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldrich, Donald N. 1917 births 1947 deaths American World War II flying aces Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States People from Moline, Illinois Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) United States Marine Corps pilots of World War II United States Marine Corps officers Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1947 Military personnel from Illinois Recipients of the Air Medal