2nd Lieutenant George Rudolph Choate was born on October 12,1923 in Indianola, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma to parents George Rudolph and Lois Olivette Edens Choate. 2nd Lt. Choate had three sisters – Lois, Ramona, and Mary – and two brothers – James and David.

At the time when the 1940 Census was taken the family lived in Watonga, Oklahoma. Mr. Choate worked as a farm agent and Mrs. Choate was a housewife. 2nd Lt. Choate graduated from Watonga High School in 1941. He was a running back on the football team and was a member of Indianola 4-H Club where he raised and competed in pig and calf competitions. He was a member of the Baptist church during this time.

At the time of this writing, the author was not able to discover additional information on the early life of 2nd Lt. Choate. Regardless, we honor his dedication and sacrifice for his country.

2nd Lt. Choate registered for the draft in Watonga at Local Board of Blaine County on June 30,1942. At the time, he was living in Watonga and was employed by the New Departure Division of General Motors. He enlisted in the service on September 23,1942 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After enlisting, he received Advanced Flight Training at Craig Field in Selma, Alabama, where he received his wings and commission. He then reported to Mabry Field in Tallahassee, Florida for further training.

After receiving his wings and commission, he became a member of the 8th Air Force, 56th Pursuit Group, 62nd Pursuit Squadron after it was formed on November 20,1940, headquartered originally in the National Guard Armory in Savannah, Georgia. In May,1941 it moved its base of operations to Charlotte, North Carolina, and moved again in December,1941 to Charleston, South Carolina, providing air cover along the coastal areas of North and South Carolina.

In January,1942, the group moved to the New York area to provide air cover for the city in the event of an attack. Pilots began advanced training in the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane. In May,1942 the Army Air Corps changed the name of the group to 56th Fighter Group and 61st Fighter Squadron.

On January 6,1943 the 56th Fighter Group was shipped from Bridgeport Army Airfield in Stratford, Connecticut to RAF (Royal Air Force) Kings Cliffe Airfield, Northamptonshire, England on the passenger liner Queen Elizabeth, which was pressed into service during the war as a troop transport ship. After six days at sea the 56th first docked at Gourock, Scotland, then pressed on the next day to Kings Cliffe. From Kings Cliffe, they moved to RAF Horsham St. Faith Airfield, near Norwich, Norfolk, England in April 1943, then to RAF Halesworth Horton (AAF-365), England in July,1943.

RAF Halesworth, being only eight miles from the Suffolk, England coast, was ideally located for fighter escort operations, where range of the fighter planes was an important factor. For this reason, the 56th Fighter Group (61st, 62nd, 63rd Fighter Squadrons) of the Eighth Air Force was moved there. Flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, the group flew numerous missions over France, the Netherlands, and Germany, escorting/protecting bombers that were attacking industrial establishments, V-weapon sites, submarine bases, and other targets on the European Continent. In addition, the 56th strafed and dive-bombed German airfields, troop concentrations, supply points, railroads and equipment, communication centers, and anti-aircraft installations. The 56th FG occupied AAF-365 from July 9,1943 to April 19,1944.

The next move was to Royal Air Force (RAF) Boxted (AAF-150), located 4 miles north-northeast of Colchester, Essex, England. It was the home base of the 56th Fighter Group – made up of the 61st, 62nd, and 63rd Fighter Squadrons, Eighth Air Force. Flying the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane, the 56th FG was the most successful of the Eighth Air Force groups in air-to-air combat. It engaged in counter-air and interdictory missions during the invasion of Normandy, France on D-Day in June 1944. The 56th FG supported Allied forces during the breakthrough at St. Lo, Normandy, France in July and participated in the decisive Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 to January 1945. The 56th FG helped defend the key Remagen Bridgehead against German air attacks in March 1945. The 56th FG operated out of Boxted AAF-150 from April 19,1944 to September 15,1945.

On April 13,1943 the 56th FG performed its first operational mission, a fighter sweep of the St. Omer, France area. Known as “Rodeos”, fighter sweeps were flown over enemy territory at high altitude with the intention of luring the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) into aerial combat. On April 26, the group encountered German aircraft for the first time, with the loss of two planes and the two pilots becoming POWs. On May 4, the 56th FG flew its first bomber escort mission, providing air cover for American B-17 Bombers with a destination of Antwerp, Belgium. On June 12, Pilot Walter Cook (O-432182) of the 62nd Fighter Squadron shot down a German fighter for the group’s first confirmed enemy kill.

On October 24,1944 – in what would be his final mission – 2nd Lt. Choate took flight in his P-47D Thunderbolt Fighter (Serial # 44-19929) with fellow pilots of the 62nd Fighter Squadron out of Boxted AAF-150 on a bomb/strafe mission with a destination of Wienburg, Germany. From Missing Air Crew Report # 10117, 2nd Lt. Donald Henley (O-712006) and 1st Lt. Francis Nolan (O-763852) reported that the squadron experienced German anti-aircraft fire as they were making a strafing pass at 4:30 pm, and as they were pulling away from the pass they saw a plane crash that was later identified as 2nd Lt. Choate’s plane. The crash site was between Achlum and Harlingen, Netherlands.

2nd Lt. Choate was initially listed as missing in action. Upon finding his body, he was initially buried in Harlingen and then re-interred in the American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten, Netherlands – Plot A, Row 3, Grave 4. This is the only American cemetery in the Netherlands, and it is the final resting place for 8,289 Fallen American Heroes.

As part of the 56th Fighter Group, 2nd Lt. Choate was a member of the highest scoring P-47 Thunderbolt fighter group in the European Theatre of Operations, the Group once destroying 79 German planes in a single day of combat. At that time, the 56th Fighter Group had destroyed a total of 683 German planes, either in aerial combat or while on the ground. The 56th was known as “Zemke’s Wolfpack”, led for a time by Commanding Officer Colonel Hubert Zemke, one of top America’s fighter aces during the war.

2nd Lt. Choate was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart for his actions.

The Air Medal was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

The Purple Heart is awarded to military personnel who are killed or injured in combat, and it acknowledges the physical sacrifice of that person in defense of our country. It is the longest tenured military award, dating back to the Revolutionary War.

Thank you for your sacrifice and service, 2nd Lt. Choate….Rest in Peace.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII Fallen saved on Together We Served and www.Fold3.com . Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at kgm72@comcast.net . I would be honored to make changes where requested.

George R Choate, Jr