1/Lt. John L. Rieder


(J. Zdiarskı (www.museum119.cz) from the Dave Jewell collection)

1/Lt. John L. Rieder

38th FS - 23 September 1944 - 14 February 1945 (Killed in Action)

Assigned Aircraft

P-51D CG-A 44-13549 "My Ready Steady"
Mission History

40 missions
Mission List
55th FG Mission # Date Target
242 27 September 1944 Ludwigshafen (Yellow 2)
246 03 October 1944 Giebelstadt (Green 2)
248 06 October 1944 Berlin (Yellow 4)
250 09 October 1944 Schweinfurt (White 2)
256 18 October 1944 Kassel/Mittefeld (Yellow 2)
258 22 October 1944 Münster (Yellow 2)
259 25 October 1944 Hamburg (Red 4)
260 26 October 1944 Hannover (Yellow 3)
262 02 November 1944 Merseberg (Yellow 2)
263 04 November 1944 Hamburg (Yellow 2)
264 05 November 1944 Ludwigshafen (Blue 3)
266 08 November 1944 Merseberg (Spare - Nb. no mission credit)
267 09 November 1944 Thionville (Red 3)
272 16 November 1944 Aachen (Blue 2)
273 20 November 1944 Eudenbach Airfield (Yellow 2)
278 29 November 1944 Hamm (White 3)
279 30 November 1944 Merseberg (Blue 3)
280 02 December 1944 Koblenz (Red 3)
281 04 December 1944 Giessen (Blue 4)
282 05 December 1944 Berlin (Red 3)
283 06 December 1944 Merseberg (Yellow 4)
284 10 December 1944 Fighter Sweep - MEW Control (Yellow 3)
286 12 December 1944 Darmstadt (Blue 3)
288 16 December 1944 Stuttgart (White 3)
289 18 December 1944 Sweep - Marburg to Paderborn (Blue 3)
290 23 December 1944 Targets in Trier Area (Red 3)
291 24 December 1944 Babenhausen (Program Blue 3)
292 25 December 1944 Trier/Hermeskeil/Bad Kreuznach (Red 4)
293 26 December 1944 Koblenz (Red 3)
294 28 December 1944 Gerolstein (Blue 4)
295 29 December 1944 Aschaffenburg (Blue 3) Returned early at 1110, due to oxygen mask trouble
296 30 December 1944 Mannheim (Blue 3)
297 31 December 1944 Engers/Neuwied (Yellow 3)
298 01 January 1945 Stendal (Yellow 3)
305 13 January 1945 Sweep - Bad Nauheim and Mannheim (Yellow 3)
306 14 January 1945 Magdeburg (Yellow 3)
307 15 January 1945 Stuttgart (White 3)
308 16 January 1945 Dessau (Yellow 3)
312 29 January 1945 Kassel (White 3)
314 03 February 1945 Berlin (Yellow 3)
318 10 February 1945 Hannover (Red 3)
320 14 February 1945 Magdeburg (Blue Leader)
Air Scores

0-0-0
Ground Scores

0-0
Notes

Entered service from Montana.
ASN - O-754041
Known as 'Jack'
23 September 1944 - Assigned to the 38th Fighter Squadron
November 1944 - Awarded the Air Medal
04 December 1944 - Promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant
December 1944 - Awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal
January 1945 - Awarded a 2nd and 3rd Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal
14 February 1945 - Killed in action
MACR No. 15907

1/Lt. Rieder was strafing a train and the boxcar at which he was firing turned out to be full of explosives, presumably ammunition.  It exploded, and he was caught in the explosion and crashed and was instantly killed.

Lt. Rieder is buried in Plot A, Row 39, Grave 20, in the Ardennes American Military Cemetery and Memorial, Neupre, Belgium.
Reproduced with kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield from the author's book Double Nickel - Double Trouble
Memories  
Additional Photo

Lt. Rieder's grave at the Ardennes American Military Cemetery and Memorial, Neupre, Belgium. (Paul Patist)

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