This post was submitted by reader Jonathan Cook.

~ Alan

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I just wanted to share our family's Memorial Day offering:

My wife's great-uncle Hiram Clifford Pitts (Clifford to family and friends - he did not like Hiram), from Fort Pierce, FL enlisted in the Army Air Forces in 1942 leaving his mother, six siblings, and a fiancee behind. He became a 2nd LT flying a P-38 with the 96th Fighter Squadron/82nd Fighter Group/12th Air Force (later 15th Air Force). He was first based in North Africa and later Sicily and mainland Italy. By December 1943 he had three confirmed air victories and two probables. There is one account that states he may have had other victories, but the record isn't clear and many of his personnel records were destroyed in a fire in a records repository in St. Louis.

On Christmas Day 1943, while escorting bombers over Italy his plane was damaged either directly or indirectly during a mid-air collision with an Me-109. He was able to bail out of his plane. His parachute did not open.

At that same time one ocean and half a sea away, his mother woke out of her sleep and knew Clifford was gone. She received official notification of his MIA status in January 1943. His status was changed to KIA in June 1944. We have a picture of her standing somberly as a Purple Heart is pinned to his empty uniform. In all, he received the Purple Heart and an Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. His body now rests in Plot A/Row 13/Grave 30 at Florence American Cemetary in Florence, Italy. He shares that hallowed ground with 4,401 other American service members.

So, on this Memorial Day I want to pay my respects in Clifford's memory to all those heroes past and present, known and unknown who gave all for the freedom we enjoy.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Cook