Ilion High School - Class of 1936

Herkimer Evening Telegram - September 4, 1945

Ilion Airman Once Missing, Coming Home

Article 13

Ilion Airman Once Missing, Coming Home

Ilion - Lt. Richard Deming, son of MR. and Mrs. Milton Deming, 14 N. Third Ave., recipient of the Distinquished Flying Cross for heroism in the China-India theater, received an honorable discharge yesterday at Fort Dix.

The young flier who had more than 50 missions to his credit and who received the Air Medal with numerous Oak leaf Clusters for flights over "hazardous territory" is expected home today.

Lt. Deming enlisted in October 1942 and received his commission in July 1943. He was promoted to First Lieutenant while stationed in China.

It was in May 1944 that the depth and height of emotion coupled with the answered prayers of an eight year-old brother, were experienced in a space of 13 hours by his family here.

The parents received a telegram at 10 p. m. on May 9, 1944, informing them that their son was "missing in action” since April 26, over China.

That night a small brother Robert prayed for his brother’s safety and at 11 a. m. the next morning, a letter was received from Richard stating he was in a hospital with a broken arm and cut lip, received when his plane crashed in China. The letter was dated April 29.

The plane ran out of gas while returning from "a rather long mission". Lt. Deming said "My element leader and I got lost so we called for a bearing, but took too long getting a fix ... We crashed in a plowed field near our base and the Chinese helped me out and sent word to my base. They sent the doctors right after me."

Lt. Deming was graduated from Ilion High School in 1936 and was a member of the Honorary Society and a violinist in the school orchestra. He was a toolmaker at the Remington Rand when he enlisted.

His training was received at Nashville, Tenn; Bennettville, S. C.; Shaw Field, S. C.; Maxwell Field, Ala., and he received his wings at Spence Field, Moultrie, Ga. He went overseas in October 1943 as a pursuit pilot with the 14th Air Force.