Honor Flight Columbus is proud to be flying our 10,000th Veteran to Washington D.C. on October 10, 2024. To commemorate this significant milestone, we will be sharing the inspiring stories of 10 Veterans. Each story we share will represent 1,000 of the 10,000 Veterans we have had the honor of flying. Follow along as we honor, share, and celebrate the heroes of our country.
David Caldwell was born to David Thompson and Helen Adelgunde Caldwell on April 25, 1923 in Pennsylvania. By 1930, the family had moved to Columbus, Ohio. Caldwell was the eldest of two children, including a sister Mary who was four years his junior. He attended North High School in Columbus for four years, graduated in 1941 and declared his intention to attend Ohio State University. Around this time, Caldwell met the love of his life, Dorothy Eleanor Ohlendorf. The pair met in church and soon became a couple. However, instead of finishing his college degree and settling into the domestic life in Columbus, Caldwell followed the call of his country.
By 1942, the United States had joined the Allied forces to fight against the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan). In January, Japanese forces began attacking the Philippines and the Allied forces set up a combined force in the south-west Pacific known as ABDA (American, British, Dutch, and Australian). War in the Pacific theatre was in full swing. At the age of 19, Caldwell registered for the draft in 1942. Just two years later, in 1944 at the age of 21, he enlisted at Ft. Thomas Newport, Kentucky. Caldwell was part of the 5th Air Force Bomber Crew, 380th Bombardment Group stationed in the Pacific Theater. When he became attached to the 531st Bombardment Squadron, unit had been moved to Murtha Strip, San Jose, Mindoro Island, and the Philippines where they joined the remaining parts of the 5th Air Force in attacks on Formosa, Indo China, Japanese areas of the Philippines, and China. Caldwell himself, was stationed in the Philippines. He was a Tail Gunner on the B-24 aircraft, “Free for All!!!” under Aircraft Commander Leonard Mincks.
The 380th Bombardment Group were known as the Flying Circus and King of the Heavens. Groups were formed around the operational use of specific aircraft. In this case, the B-24 Liberator Bomb was utilized for heavy bombardment related to reconnaissance missions. Caldwell’s role as tail gunner meant that he was responsible for the defense of his aircraft during missions. This dangerous position gave tail gunners a short life expectancy. Some sources say life expectancy for tail gunners was six to eight weeks, others say only about four flights, or two weeks. Despite the dangers of his deployment, Caldwell continued to stay connected to his life back home. In one letter, he included a poem detailing how he felt about being so far away from her:
“Memories”
I’ll always remember the nite I went away,
I wondered then would I see her again someday?
The miles between us are very great,
And she is so far away…
Although we’re apart, she seems nearer everyday.
I think of the many happy times we had,
Of starry evenings, moonlit skies…
The times I held her hand.
We forgot the world, the war and strife,
We were young, happy, and just beginning life.
I think of a beautiful smiling girl,
With laughing eyes and a golden curl.
Of the times I held her in my arms,
And told her of her many charms.
The softness of her lips, the fragrance of her hair…
The many times I told her how much I care.
We’ve faced death in flak infested skies,
Always, I see her lovely face before my very eyes.
And then, the thought returns to me again…
Will I see her again someday, and when?
Caldwell was fortunate to survive the missions his crew embarked on and eventually flew home to Dorothy. Not everyone in his crew was given the same opportunity. Under Minck as part of the 115 crew, Caldwell’s comrades in the positions of Pilot, Navigator, and Radio Operator were killed on September 8, 1845 somewhere between the mission’s destination and where they were stationed. This was only one month before the entire crew was to take part in Operation Sunset.
October 18, 1945 Operation Sunset ordered the return of aircrafts and their crew to the United States. This included Caldwell and the rest of the crew of the Free For All!!!. Staff Sergeant David Caldwell was honorably discharged in 1946. Having finished his service, Caldwell began a career in the grocery business in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Caldwell finally married Dorothy on June 6, 1949 in their hometown of Columbus. Together they had four children. They continued their lives in Columbus and Caldwell finally retired after 70 years in the grocery business in 2003.
Six years later, Caldwell took his Honor Flight with Honor Flight Columbus on November 7, 2009 (Mission 29). He joined other World War II Veterans on the trip of a lifetime to see his memorial in Washington D.C. As the 15th anniversary of his flight approaches, Honor Flight Columbus continues to operate under the very same mission it did when it first began.
“To honor America’s senior Veterans with a trip to Washington D.C. to visit the nation’s memorials. To help them share their stories, To celebrate and affirm their service and homecoming.”
Caldwell passed away May 25, 2018 just after his 95th birthday. In a letter he wrote to Honor Flight Columbus, Caldwell stressed the importance of participating in an Honor Flight:
“I want to sincerely thank you… Honor Flight for the great flight to D.C. to see the World War II memorial… I was pleased to see young people involved they have to get involved because if they don’t stand up for America our freedoms… will be taken away. For hundreds of years we have fought and many have died to protect our country and our freedoms.”
The memory of Caldwell is made up of sacrifice, honor, and love. He wrote to Honor Flight Columbus another letter detailing the beauty and grace of his late wife of 55 years. While his country meant a lot to him, it was Dorothy who held his heart. She came before, during, and after his service to his country—and perhaps, she was a motivating reason he wanted so much to protect his country.
