Thomas John Fiedler
"T.J."
d 1965
Service
United States Air Force
Highest Rank
1st Lieutenant
Years of Service
2
Combat
Yes
No Videos
Biography as of Apr 02, 2020
Thomas John Fiedler, the only son of Carl and Irene Fiedler, was born on 18 November 1941.
Thomas graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic Grade School 1955, Assumption High School 1959 and the United States Air Force Academy 1963 where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. While in high school, Thomas was involved with the Student Government. He was elected secretary during his junior year at St. Ambrose Academy and Assumption High School’s first Student Government President during his senior year. He was a letter winner in basketball, football, and baseball. Thomas was selected as a representative to the Iowa American Legion Hawkeye Boys State Program and was the 1959 Bechtel Award recipient.
While at the Air Force Academy, Thomas was a member of the Commandant’s List, Dean’s List, and Superintendent’s Merit List. He served as president of the Academy Gun Club, an officer of the Academy Ski Club and played football and baseball in his first year as a cadet. Thomas was the commander of the 21st Squadron, which was named the 1963 Honor Squadron at commencement. President John F. Kennedy was the commencement speaker. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. After graduation, Thomas was assigned to Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, for flight training. In the fall of 1964, he was awarded his silver pilot wings. His first duty station was at Otis Air Force Base (located near Falmouth, Massachusetts) where he was assigned to the 961st Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, 551st Airborne and Early Warning Wing as a co-pilot on an EC-121H radar patrol plane. He received his commission as a 1st Lieutenant on 5 December 1964.
On Sunday 11 July 1965, at 9:30 p.m. Thomas’ aircraft left Otis Air Force Base where it reached its patrol station about 30 minutes later. At 10:15 p.m. the pilot radioed that he was shutting down, or feathering, the inboard engine on the left wing. Shortly afterward he notified Otis Air Force Base that the inboard engine on the right wing was on fire. The last words from the pilot were; “Altitude 200 feet. I am ditching.” The aircraft went down about 100 miles northeast of Nantucket Island.
The evening of 11 July, Thomas’ parents received word from Otis Air Force Base that Thomas was a member of the crew. Three survivors, kept afloat by their life jackets for nearly 11 hours, were rescued by a German destroyer on NATO maneuvers. Among the survivors was Airman First Class, John Puopolo, who remains a very special friend of the Fiedler family. Miscellaneous parts of the aircraft and crew equipment were picked up. Thomas’ flight jacket was found which had the keys to his coveted T-Bird in the pocket. USAFA classmate, Jim Goodman, drove Thomas’ car back to Davenport to give his parents. (Jim was later shot down in Vietnam in an AC-47, entire crew KIA.)
On 17 July 1965, 1st Lieutenant Thomas John Fiedler, was listed as missing and presumed dead. His death was confirmed on 20 July 1965 by letters from Col. R.F. Kaltenbacher and Lt. Colonel Robert Mitchell. Lt. Mitchell wrote that “Thomas was a professional young officer who knew well the aircraft that he operated. His integrity and willingness to accept any responsibility left an impression on me that shall long endure.”
On 24 July 1965, a memorial service was held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Davenport with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. J.D. Conway presiding. Otis Air Force Base and Truax Air Force Base provided the final salute. Attending from Otis Air Force Base were Captain David Russell (who continues to remember Thomas each year) and Lt. Edward Grayson. Lt. James Goodman and Lt. William Simpson, classmates from the Academy, also attended. Thomas was posthumously awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for his professional skill and airmanship in the ditching.
At the time of his death, Thomas was survived by his parents (Irene d1993, Carl d1999) and his three sisters; Shirley Harris (d2003), Mary Lou Hein (d2002), and Betty Mair (d2018).
The Thomas J. Fiedler ’59 Scholarship was established in 2000 at Assumption High School and funded by his family as a memorial to Thomas and the Fiedler Family.
It was the late John O’Donnell, sports writer for the Davenport Times Democrat, who best described the personal qualities of Thomas in his 25 July 1965 column:
“Thomas was the all-around boy of whom everybody was proud… he was the type of young man that this country wanted and needed in a key post in the future… he knew exactly what he wanted in life… he was faithful to his desires, and he had the good moral character to pray for strength… was a young man who had done everything so well, who wanted to serve his country in the best possible way … in athletics, in the class room, on the campus at the Air Force Academy, and then as an officer … he was truly the fine example of an All-American boy… his life was cut short, but while he lived, he was a solid credit to his family, his country, his school, his church… He did his best…”
Submitted by: Kathleen Anderson, Linda Powers, Mary Ann Harris and Carol Leingang (daughters of Shirley Fiedler Harris and nieces of Thomas J. Fiedler) Sources of Information: 1. Davenport Democrat and Times, 13 July 1965, page 1. 2. Davenport Democrat and Times, 18 July 1965, page 1. 3. Davenport Democrat and Times, 24 July 1965, page 13
Thomas graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic Grade School 1955, Assumption High School 1959 and the United States Air Force Academy 1963 where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. While in high school, Thomas was involved with the Student Government. He was elected secretary during his junior year at St. Ambrose Academy and Assumption High School’s first Student Government President during his senior year. He was a letter winner in basketball, football, and baseball. Thomas was selected as a representative to the Iowa American Legion Hawkeye Boys State Program and was the 1959 Bechtel Award recipient.
While at the Air Force Academy, Thomas was a member of the Commandant’s List, Dean’s List, and Superintendent’s Merit List. He served as president of the Academy Gun Club, an officer of the Academy Ski Club and played football and baseball in his first year as a cadet. Thomas was the commander of the 21st Squadron, which was named the 1963 Honor Squadron at commencement. President John F. Kennedy was the commencement speaker. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. After graduation, Thomas was assigned to Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, for flight training. In the fall of 1964, he was awarded his silver pilot wings. His first duty station was at Otis Air Force Base (located near Falmouth, Massachusetts) where he was assigned to the 961st Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, 551st Airborne and Early Warning Wing as a co-pilot on an EC-121H radar patrol plane. He received his commission as a 1st Lieutenant on 5 December 1964.
On Sunday 11 July 1965, at 9:30 p.m. Thomas’ aircraft left Otis Air Force Base where it reached its patrol station about 30 minutes later. At 10:15 p.m. the pilot radioed that he was shutting down, or feathering, the inboard engine on the left wing. Shortly afterward he notified Otis Air Force Base that the inboard engine on the right wing was on fire. The last words from the pilot were; “Altitude 200 feet. I am ditching.” The aircraft went down about 100 miles northeast of Nantucket Island.
The evening of 11 July, Thomas’ parents received word from Otis Air Force Base that Thomas was a member of the crew. Three survivors, kept afloat by their life jackets for nearly 11 hours, were rescued by a German destroyer on NATO maneuvers. Among the survivors was Airman First Class, John Puopolo, who remains a very special friend of the Fiedler family. Miscellaneous parts of the aircraft and crew equipment were picked up. Thomas’ flight jacket was found which had the keys to his coveted T-Bird in the pocket. USAFA classmate, Jim Goodman, drove Thomas’ car back to Davenport to give his parents. (Jim was later shot down in Vietnam in an AC-47, entire crew KIA.)
On 17 July 1965, 1st Lieutenant Thomas John Fiedler, was listed as missing and presumed dead. His death was confirmed on 20 July 1965 by letters from Col. R.F. Kaltenbacher and Lt. Colonel Robert Mitchell. Lt. Mitchell wrote that “Thomas was a professional young officer who knew well the aircraft that he operated. His integrity and willingness to accept any responsibility left an impression on me that shall long endure.”
On 24 July 1965, a memorial service was held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Davenport with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. J.D. Conway presiding. Otis Air Force Base and Truax Air Force Base provided the final salute. Attending from Otis Air Force Base were Captain David Russell (who continues to remember Thomas each year) and Lt. Edward Grayson. Lt. James Goodman and Lt. William Simpson, classmates from the Academy, also attended. Thomas was posthumously awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for his professional skill and airmanship in the ditching.
At the time of his death, Thomas was survived by his parents (Irene d1993, Carl d1999) and his three sisters; Shirley Harris (d2003), Mary Lou Hein (d2002), and Betty Mair (d2018).
The Thomas J. Fiedler ’59 Scholarship was established in 2000 at Assumption High School and funded by his family as a memorial to Thomas and the Fiedler Family.
It was the late John O’Donnell, sports writer for the Davenport Times Democrat, who best described the personal qualities of Thomas in his 25 July 1965 column:
“Thomas was the all-around boy of whom everybody was proud… he was the type of young man that this country wanted and needed in a key post in the future… he knew exactly what he wanted in life… he was faithful to his desires, and he had the good moral character to pray for strength… was a young man who had done everything so well, who wanted to serve his country in the best possible way … in athletics, in the class room, on the campus at the Air Force Academy, and then as an officer … he was truly the fine example of an All-American boy… his life was cut short, but while he lived, he was a solid credit to his family, his country, his school, his church… He did his best…”
Submitted by: Kathleen Anderson, Linda Powers, Mary Ann Harris and Carol Leingang (daughters of Shirley Fiedler Harris and nieces of Thomas J. Fiedler) Sources of Information: 1. Davenport Democrat and Times, 13 July 1965, page 1. 2. Davenport Democrat and Times, 18 July 1965, page 1. 3. Davenport Democrat and Times, 24 July 1965, page 13