Lieutenant Denver V. Truelove
- First name: | Denver |
- Middle name: | Vernon |
- Last name: | Truelove |
- Nickname: | - |
- Rank Doolittle raid: | Lieutenant |
- Last rank: | Captain |
- Service number: | 0-427637 |
- Date of birth: | 10 April 1919 |
- Place of birth: | Clermont, Georgia |
- Date of death: | 05 April 1943 |
- Place of death: | Trapini, Sicily - Italy |
- Place of the cemetery: | Tablets of the missing, Carthage, Tunesia |
- Name of the cemetery: | Carthage, Tunesia - North African American Cemetery |
Additional info
Denver V. Truelove was the son of Clyde Wiley Truelove and Arizona Gertrude Truelove (born Rogers). He had one older sister, Blanche Truelove (Bowen) . Denver Truelove was not married and had left no children when he was MIA. However his sister Blanche named one of her children to him.
After the Doolittle Raid, Denver was on leave in Georgia. He was incredibly successful in War Bond sales, at one point outselling popular actress Dorothy Lamour when he sold $70,000 in bonds.
Ted Lawson mentions eating blueberry pie with Denver Truelove in his book, ignoring the battle-stations drill.
The crew bailed out near the mountains southwest of Quzhou. Like many others, the B-25 Denver Truelove was in also ran out of fuel. After jumping out of the plane it took a while before he found his fellow crew members back. This was in Quzhou.
After a short time in England, Truelove was stationed in North Africa. During this time, he was promoted to captain.
In North Africa, he checked fliers in and out and also flew on some missions. "When I do not fly, I check others out and in. Some do not return. I have been around the world. Our country is the best, and I am willing to die for our USA," Truelove wrote in a letter to his family.
Captain Truelove was assigned to the 428th Bomb Squadron, 310th Bomb Group. On April 5, 1943, his unit was attacking an Axis shipping convoy in the Mediterranean Sea.
Off Trapini, Sicily, his B-25, piloted by Captain Richards A. Aldridge, was shot down. Of the crew of six on board, Truelove, Captain Richard T. Norvell, and Technical Sergeant Warren V. Richardson were not recovered and were declared death.
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The Heroes of Doolittle's raid on Japan in april 1942
by Mr. Geert Rottiers
The book will be available soon.
