| Name |
Luper, James R [1] |
| Prefix |
Col |
| Suffix |
Jr |
| Birth |
19 Feb 1914 |
Oregon, USA  [2] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Census |
1 Jan 1920 |
Salem Ward 4, Marion, Oregon [2] |
| Age: 4y |
Address:
1344 Ferry St |
| Occupation |
1 Jan 1920 |
Salem Ward 4, Marion, Oregon [2] |
| None |
| Census |
1 Apr 1930 |
Portland, Multnomah, Oregon [3] |
| Age: 14y |
Address:
435 Montgomery |
| Occupation |
1 Apr 1930 |
Portland, Multnomah, Oregon [3] |
| None |
| Military Begining |
1934 [1] |
|
| Education |
1938 [1] |
| Graduated US Military Acadamy, Army Air Corps |
 |
Luper, James R - 1938 West Point Yearbook
Media Date: 1938
Keywords: Picture |
| Military |
1939 |
- listing in US Army Service Register, Rank Second Lieutenant (No. 259 on page136)
|
 |
Luper, James R - US Army Service Listing
Caption Note: No. 259 on P. 136.
Media Date: 1939
Keywords: Picture |
| Census |
27 Apr 1940 |
Bexar, Texas [4] |
| Age: 26y |
Address:
12 Inner Octagon, Randolph Field |
| Occupation |
27 Apr 1940 |
Bexar, Texas [4] |
| Amy Officer |
|
| Military |
1941 |
Texas |
Address:
Randolph Field |
- listing in military service register
|
 |
Luper, James R. US Army Service Register
Media Date: 1941
Keywords: Picture |
| Military |
1 Mar 1942 |
- listed in US Army Military Service Register, Rank Lt. Col.
|
 |
Luper, James R - US Army Service Register
Media Date: MAR 1942
Keywords: Picture |
| Military |
30 Oct 1943 |
- listing in US Army Service Registry, promoted to Major
|
 |
Luper, James R - US Army Service Registery
Media Date: 30 OCT 1943
Keywords: Picture |
| Military |
31 Oct 1943 |
Ardmore, Carter Co., Oklahoma [1] |
Address:
Ardmore Army Air Field |
- LTC, Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the 46th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, "Operation Fast Forward"
|
| Military |
4 Jan 1944 |
Grand Island, Nebraska [1] |
- COL, Commander, 457th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
|
| Military |
1 Aug 1944 |
- listed in US Army military service registery, awarded Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Silver Star
|
 |
Luper, James R. US Army Service Registry
Media Date: 1945
Keywords: Picture |
 |
Luper, James R. Military Service Register
Media Date: 1 AUG 1944
Keywords: Picture |
| Military |
7 Oct 1944 |
European Theater, Germany [1] |
Address:
Stalag Luft 4B (Camp 33) |
- POW, Stalag Luft 4B,
Listed in WW 2 Prisoners of War: First report 7 Oct 1944. Last report 30 Jun 1945. Army Air Corp. Heavy Bomber. Liberated/Repatriated.
|
| Military |
1946 |
- listing in US Military Register
|
 |
Luper, James R - Select Military Register 1946
Caption Note: P. 424
Media Date: 1946
Keywords: Picture |
| Newspaper |
7 Sep 1949 |
Tucson, Arizona |
Address:
Davis-Monthan Air Base |
|
 |
Luper, James R - Tuscon Daily Citizen - 1949-09-07
Keywords: Picture |
| Newspaper |
17 Dec 1950 |
Tucson, Arizona |
|
 |
Luper, James R - Tucson Daily News - 1950-12-27
Keywords: Picture |
| Military |
1953 [1] |
- Inspector General, Strategic Air Command, under LG Curtis Lemay
|
| Death |
23 Feb 1953 |
Omaha, Sharpy, Nebraska [1] |
| Cause: Airplane crash (While servince in military) |
| Newspaper |
2 Mar 1953 |
Omaha, Sharpy, Nebraska |
- Stars and Stripes, Pacific Edition
|
 |
Luper, James R - Stars and Stripes - 1953-03-02
Keywords: Picture |
| Newspaper |
4 Mar 1953 |
Tucson, Arizona |
|
 |
Luper, James R - Tucson Daily News - 1953-03-04
Keywords: Picture |
| Burial |
6 Mar 1953 |
West Point, Orange County, New York |
Address:
Transportation Officer Trans Div, Bldg 917 West Point, NY 10996 |
|
| Notes |
- Biography
(Shamelessly stolen from Find-a-grave)
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=121828852
Memorial added by user: SLGMSD
USMA Class of 1938. Cullum No. 11222.
On May 1, 1934 as James Rhea Luper, he married Rosalind Price in Yuma County, Arizona, both age 21 years of Los Angeles, California. The marriage was annulled on June 15, 1934. On June 18, 1938, he married Louise Perrine Ryder, daughter of Lieut. Colonel Charles W. Ryder, Commandant of the United States Military Academy, in the chapel at West Point, New York. In 1943 as James R. Luper, he divorced Louise Luper in Dade County, Florida. Both later remarried. On December 24, 1946, Louise Luper (1916-1993) married John Francis King at Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. On November 23, 1943, he married Rene (Irene) Hiller. In 1954 his widow, Rene Hiller Luper married John Russell Dillon in Polk County, Florida. In May 1956 as Rene G. Luper, she married Walter S. Hardin in Manatee County, Florida.
James Rhea Luper Jr. was the son of James Rhea Luper, a former Oregon state engineer and Eleanor Potter Luper Bouvy. He graduated from Hill Military Academy in Portland and attended the University of Oregon. In 1933, he enlisted in the United States Army. In 1934, he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy from Senator Frederick Steiwer. Upon graduation in 1938 he was assigned to the Army Air Force. After training he remained at Randolph Field to assist in the training of Aviation Cadets. Following assignments included Director of Training and Commandant of Cadets, Army Air Forces Pre-Flight School at Maxwell Field in Alabama; Executive for Training and Operations, Army Air Forces Officer Candidate School and Officer Training School in Miami Beach, Florida.
After dozens of requests he was assigned to a bombardment squadron. His B-17 was the 1,000th Fortress built by the Douglas Aircraft Company at Long Beach, California and was named Rene III in honor of his wife. It was assigned to the 750th Bombardment Squadron. On January 4, 1944 he took over as Commanding officer of the 457th Heavy Bombardment Group. The aircraft left Grand Island, Nebraska on January 17, 1944 flying to the British Isles, arriving at United States Station 130, Glatton between January 21 and February 1, 1944. During World War II, he served 16 months in Europe and flew 20 missions. On October 7, 1944, he led the Fireball Outfit to Politz where his B-17 and was shot down over Stettin, Germany. Seven of the 11 men aboard died. He bailed out at 25,000 feet, landing in Stettin Bay where he was picked up by a German launch after two hours in the water. He escaped from the prison train, but was recaptured after six days. He was sent to Stalag Luft III near Sagan, German where 6,667 other American POWs were held and was liberated on April 29, 1945.
He was the model for the character of Colonel Joseph Ryan played by Frank Sinatra in the movie made from the book Von Ryan's Express by David Westheimer (1917-2005), who was also a POW at Stalag Luft III during World War II. After the war he attended several Service Schools and spent 2 ? years in China where he was Deputy Director of the Air Force Advisory Group. General Curtis LeMay assigned him as Chief of Security, Strategic Air Command. He established a Security School at Camp Carson in Colorado training thousands of officers and airmen. In 1951 he became Deputy Inspector for Security at Strategic Air Command Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. Later in the year he was scheduled to be the Air Provost Marshal General assigned at the District of Columbia.
On Saturday, February 28, 1953, he was piloting an Air Force B-26 from Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska. The plane was making its final approach with the aid of the Ground Controlled Approach (radar) system when it lost altitude rapidly and crashed about nine miles west of the base near the Platte River. Colonel Luper, Lieut. Colonel George R. Groves of Dallas, Texas an Army officer attached to Colonel Luper's office and Tech. Sgt. James R. Armstrong of Garden City, Alabama, a flight engineer, all died in the crash. His decorations included the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster and the Air Medal with two clusters. The Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service from January 11, 1951 to February 28, 1953 was awarded posthumously to Colonel James R. Luper, 1448A, United States Air Force. Survivors included his widow, the former Rene Hiller of Philadelphia; five children: Jare Luper, age 6; a second daughter, age 5 and son, age 2 1/2 of Omaha; daughter, Carol Luper and son from his first marriage of Richmond, Virginia and one sister, Mrs. Carl (Eleanor) Neupert of Portland, Oregon.
Sources: Daily Capital Journal, Salem, Oregon Saturday, September 28, 1946 and Monday, March 2, 1953 and United States Military Academy Association of Graduates memorial.
----
While assigned as a group commander at Tucson, Arizona, General Curtis LeMay recognized Jim's outstanding qualities and assigned him as Chief of Security, Strategic Air Command. The present concept of Air Force Security is Jim's brainchild.
In February of 1953, Jim was informed that he would soon be transferred to Washington to be the Air Provost Marshal General. While returning to Omaha from an inspection tour of several bases. Jim requested a Ground Control Approach (Radar) to assist him in his landing at Offutt Air Force Base. The night was bitterly cold and snow filled the air. There was a crash-and then silence. Jim had joined "the Long Gray Line."
-Bertram C. Harrison, Colonel, USAF
|
| Person ID |
I4700 |
Bratt Family Tree |
| Last Modified |
17 Aug 2016 |
1914 - 1953 (39 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
