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Thursday, May 26, 2011

GIVING THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY.

Albion Idaho Newsletter 1998 - Albion History of the Past
"Mr. & Mrs. Charles V. Hepworth of Albion, now deceased, had four sons serving in WWll:
 Charles M. Merle, Jack and Ralph H. 
Ralph H. Hepworth, then 23, was killed in action.  A large framed award and memorial is hanging in the Albion Historical Museum recently donated by Charles M. and Dee Simmons Hepworth.
[Charles and Dee are now deceased the memorial was donated about 1998)

This is a cousin of my dad.  He was born 30 April 1922 in Salt Lake City and moved with his parents to Albion, Idaho in 1928 where he lived until entering the service.  Ralph was nine years younger than Dad.  Ralph died 24 July 1945.
Ralph was in the Navy and a co-pilot, flying a plane pictured below, a PBY4-2.  I have lots of information about Ralph and his flights which I will Blog about at a later date. 
This story, with more detail, was reported around the world!


"24 July 1945, two PBY4-2 airplane's took off from Yontan Field, Okinawa, for an anti-shipping sweep along the west coast of Korea.  Two message's were received, one that two planes had been attacked by enemy aircraft. No position given.  Another, referred to a successful attack on a Japanese merchant ship.  The planes did not return to base the next morning and all available planes were sent out and exhaustive search was made.  No trace was found of the missing plane's or its crew.  Among the missing was
 Ralph Huntington Hepworth

You are in our hearts and memory this Memorial Day; never to be forgotten!

 If you visit Albion be sure to visit the museum and see the Memorial that is posted there.  If it’s not open there is a number you can call that’s posted on the side of the building and a delightful person is willing to open the museum just for you.  I have done this several times since the regular OPEN hours are not when I visit Albion.  

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