oldabewla Posted April 23, 2018 Share #1 Posted April 23, 2018 I'm unable to locate any information on Lawton P, Muellers WWII AAF Air Medal. The medal is the wrap brooch type and I'm not sure if it's the early or late war? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks Craig! The Medal came out of Illinois. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohn#3RD Posted April 23, 2018 Share #2 Posted April 23, 2018 I would guess Korean War issue as it does not have the rank above the name or A. C. below it. Smarter people will be able to better define it than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted April 23, 2018 Share #3 Posted April 23, 2018 I wonder if it's possible that the middle initial "P." on the air medal was incorrectly inscribed. I could find no one named Lawton Mueller with the middle initial "P." I did find one that might fit the bill with the middle initial "D.". and he was from Illinois. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted April 23, 2018 Share #4 Posted April 23, 2018 > Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted April 23, 2018 Share #5 Posted April 23, 2018 The Air Force reported today that seven crew members—including an officer from Jonesboro, La.— were killed in a crash in Korea Saturday . It said the U. S. RB-66C jet reconnaissance plane plowed into the ground while attempting a landing at Kunsan Air Base after a “routine operational mission” from Yakota Air Base, Japan. Six officers and one enlisted man from the 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron were listed as dead. They were: Capt. George A. Taylor, aircraft commander, Jonesboro, La. Capt. James M. Stitzel, electronics officer, Butler, Ohio. 1st Lt. Thomas C. Bryce, electronics officer, Buffalo, N. Y. 1st. Lt. Robert A. Chase, navigator, Eau Claire, Wis. 1st Lt. Smith Davis Jr., electronics officer, New York City. 1st. Lt. Lawton D. Mueller, electronics officer, Taylor Ridge, III. S. Sgt. Howard M. Hicks, gunner, Parkersburg, W. Va. The Air Force said the plane had requested and received permission to land at Kunsan and crashed while making a “go-around" for the landing. A spoke-man declined to identify the area in which the reconnaissance plane had been flying. No other details were immediately available. Cause of the crash is being investigated, the Air Force said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted April 23, 2018 Share #6 Posted April 23, 2018 Here's his son's obit as well and he goes by Lawton D. Mueller Jr Ratzlaff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldabewla Posted April 23, 2018 Author Share #7 Posted April 23, 2018 Wow! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted April 23, 2018 Share #8 Posted April 23, 2018 At some point after the end of the Korean War, the Air Force switched from the large, narrow engraved font for posthumous awards to the Army-style font, which was typically seen on USAF casualty awards for Vietnam. (An example of the KW USAF font style can be seen here: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/309030-fs-kia-purple-heart-to-a-usaf-silver-star-recipient-fighter-pilot/) So as far as this award is concerned, I'd say it might need some more legwork to conclusively prove that it was awarded to him, given the wrong initial, but as far as the award itself and the engraving, I would not at all be shocked if this was a posthumously-awarded Air Medal to 1st LT Miller, dating from 1958-1959. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted April 23, 2018 Share #9 Posted April 23, 2018 So as far as this award is concerned, I'd say it might need some more legwork to conclusively prove that it was awarded to him, given the wrong initial, but as far as the award itself and the engraving, I would not at all be shocked if this was a posthumously-awarded Air Medal to 1st LT Miller, dating from 1958-1959. Hi Dave, You meant to say 1st LT Mueller, correct? Just making sure. Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted April 23, 2018 Share #10 Posted April 23, 2018 Wow! Thanks. You're welcome. Now, all you have to do is confirm somehow that the Air Medal was issued posthumously to 1st Lt. Lawton D. Mueller. Personally, I think it was, but.... In any case, you have a nice medal. Congrats... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted April 23, 2018 Share #11 Posted April 23, 2018 Hi Dave, You meant to say 1st LT Mueller, correct? Just making sure. Thanks... Of course. I was just changing it from the "Germanic" to the "English" version. Ahem...or something like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldabewla Posted April 23, 2018 Author Share #12 Posted April 23, 2018 The medal did come out of the RockIsland, ILL area from a older gentleman that cleans out estates no other items were with the medal. Thanks for all your help Gentleman as just saving another piece of history. Also a search for (P) middle name brings up nothing as I tried many different ways Its very sad that the son never knew his dad! Thanks, Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grovb Posted May 15, 2018 Share #13 Posted May 15, 2018 cool medal just down the road from me NICE LOCAL PIECE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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