Frederick Walker Castle
| Frederick Walker Castle | |
|---|---|
West Point Yearbook photo
|
|
| Born |
October 14, 1908 Fort McKinley, Manila, Philippines |
| Died | December 24, 1944 (aged 36) KIA Hods, Belgium |
| Place of burial | Henri-Chapelle, Belgium |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1930 - 1934, 1942 - 1944 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General
|
| Commands held |
94th Bombardment Group 4th Combat Bombardment Wing |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Silver Star Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (4) Purple Heart Air Medal (5) Croix de Guerre Legion of Honor Order of Kutuzov |
Frederick Walker Castle (October 14, 1908–December 24, 1944) was a general officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was killed in action leading the bombing mission for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Castle was born at Fort William McKinley in Manila, the Philippines, on October 14, 1908. The son of 2nd Lt. Benjamin F. Castle, Frederick Castle was the first child born to a graduate of the West Point Class of 1907, thereby becoming the class godson. Among his godfathers in the Class of 1907, also stationed in the Philippines, was 2nd Lt. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, who would go on to become General of the Army, as well as the first and only General of the Air Force to date. Although a friend of Arnold and later becoming Aviation Attaché in Paris following World War I, Castle's father left the Army as a colonel in 1919.
Castle settled with his family in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey after World War I, and he attended Boonton High School and Storm King Military Academy.
Castle entered the New Jersey National Guard on October 2, 1924, as preparation for attending West Point, scoring first on the Guard's competitive examination. He entered the U.S. Military Academy on July 1, 1926, graduating June 12, 1930, 7th in a class of 241 graduates. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers and was accepted for pilot training at March Field, California. After earning his wings on December 22, 1931, at Kelly Field, Texas, he served as a pilot in the 17th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, Michigan, before being assigned to the Civilian Conservation Corps. He resigned from the Army on February 17, 1934, to take a job with Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation, remaining a member of the Army Reserve.
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