Clarence Oliver
Roettger
Reprinted from the Mizpah, a publication
of Salem Church September 1945
Clarence Oliver Roettger 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces; Air Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster; Purple Heart
Clarence was born at Southgate on June 25, 1923. He graduated from Newport High School, Class of '41, and was holding down a war job when called to active military service on 28 January 1943. He was soon enrolled in an Officers' School and after preliminary training at Nashville, Tennessee, and Maxwell Field, Alabama, he received his final training as an Aviation Cadet at the Clarksdale School of Aviation, Clarksdale, Mississippi. He was then recommended for further training as. a Bombardier at Moody Field, Georgia, Tyndall Field, Florida, and San Angelo, Texas, receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant at Randolph Field, Texas, on 18 March 1944. Shortly thereafter he was assigned to the 15th Air Force for duty overseas and in July we find him in North Africa on his way to Tunisia and Italy.
From there his Unit made some twenty successful flights over enemy territory. The flight from which his Liberator Bomber failed to return was over Hungary and Austria on 23 August 1944 and to this day no definite information has been received as to his fate. The War Deportment made a find of 'presumptive death' as of 24 August 1945 and on Sunday, September 2nd, Salem honored him with a Memorial Service.