Chester County PA Archives Obituaries.....John STRICKLAND, Jr, December 7, 1950 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Dan Lindley Danoh19344@hotmail.co May 27, 2008, 9:07 am Daily Local News, December 11, 1950 Captain John Strickland, Jr., 28, son of John Strickland, Sr., and the late Mrs. Strickland, Blue Rock Farm, West Chester, was killed in an aircraft accident in the Korea area on December 7, a Defense Department telegram to the family revealed. The grim news was received Friday night. The telegram failed to reveal further details on the nature of the captain’s death. Captain Strickland’s family said today that he was shipped out of the United States on November 14. Last word received from him was on November 29 when he wrote his parents that he was pulling into port in Japan. Whether he remained in Japan and was stationed there when he died, or whether he moved into Korea was not known at present. He entered the service in July of 1942 and after serving briefly with the United States Navy was transferred to the United States Marine Corps. During WW II he was credited with shooting down three Jap Zeros and flew close air support for troops during the Okinawa campaign. Recently he was attached to a unit flying jet-propelled planes. He was making the Air Corps his career. He was graduated from West Chester High School in the class of 1939 and two years later, in 1941, graduated from the Rising Sun School of Aeronautics, in Philadelphia. In 1942 he enlisted in the service and was granted his wings in August of 1943 after completing the required training at Pensacola, Florida. Surviving is his wife, the former Florence Barz, now residing in California, and one son, John 3rd. Also surviving is his father, two brothers, Richard and Joseph, both of West Chester, and three sisters, Ann, wife of Wilbor Hannahs, Toughkenamon, Mary, wife of Richard Irvin, and Elizabeth, wife of Gene Ring, both of West Chester. His mother died in November of 1948. Daily Local News, March 14, 1951 Captain John Strickland, 28, Marine Corps pilot who died when his jet plane crashed in Japan on December 7, will be buried in Oakland Cemetery Saturday afternoon. Members of the family said that the body will arrive in West Chester Friday. Captain Strickland, the son of John Strickland, Sr., and the late Mrs. Strickland of Blue Rock Rd., West Chester, RD, died when his plane crashed apparently when landing in bad weather. Circumstances of the death are not definite as yet, however, it was learned by the family that Captain Strickland was flying when bad weather closed in. He arrived overseas on November 29, at which time he wrote home that he was pulling into the port of Japan. He entered the service in 1942, first in the United States Navy and later transferring to the Unite States Marine Corps. He was a pilot in World War II. A graduate of the West Chester High School in 1939, he attended and graduated from the Rising Sun School of Aeronautics, Philadelphia, in 1941. Since his death in December a second child was born to the couple a month ago, a daughter, Linda. His wife is the former Florence Barz, of Philadelphia. Survivors, other than his wife, father and child include a son, John 3rd, three sisters, Ann, wife of Wilbor Hannahs, Toughkenamon, Mary, wife of Richard Irvin and Elizabeth, wife of Gene Ring, both of West Chester; and two brothers, Richard and Joseph, West Chester. Ibid; STRICKLAND- On Dec. 7, 1950, Capt. John, husband of Florence Barg (sic) Strickland, in his 29th year. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral at the Harold A. Famous Funeral Home, 101 S. Church St., West Chester, Pa., on Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m. Interment at Oaklands Cemetery. Daily Local News, March 17, 1951 An impressive funeral, complete with graveside military exercises, was held Saturday at 11 a.m. for Capt. John Strickland, Jr., husband of Florence Barz Strickland. Services for the U.S. Marine Corps pilot, who died last Dec. 7 in an aircraft accident in the Korean area, were held at the Harold A. Famous Funeral Home, Church and Miner Sts. The Rev. Jacob A. Winsterstein pastor of the Church of the Holy Trinity was minister in charge. A 32-man Marine Corps escort from the Philadelphia Naval Base, including three platoons of riflemen, participated in the largely attended services. The graveside exercises, in charge of Lt. William Goodman, included the playing of taps and the firing of volleys by the Marine Corpsmen. Interment was at Oaklands Cemetery. Pallbearers were Joseph Barz, Joseph and Richard Strickland, Richard Irvin, Eugene Ring, Wilbur Hannahs, Capt. Roy C. Gray and Capt. William Guss. Additional Comments: tombstone image at Oaklands, West Chester This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb This file is located at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/chester/obits/s/st/strickland-jj.txt