Darr H. Alkire

Darr Hayes Alkire
Born	31 December 1903 Fay, Nevada[1]
Died	22 July 1977
Place of Burial	National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu [1]
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force
Years of service	March 10, 1924-October 31, 1956[1]
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	1937: 96th Bomb Squadron 1942: Second Bombardment Group 1942: 100th Bombardment Group 1943: 449th Bombardment Group 1954: Newark Transportation Control Depot 1954: 3101st Logistics Control Group[1]
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War
Awards	Air Force DSM, Silver Star
Relations	1927-8 marriage: Ruth Eleanor McKee (divorce), son Michael E Alkire (1927) 1930 marriage:[2] Alma Tate Robinson,[3] daughters Darrilyn Ann Alkire (1932) & Jacqueline Hayes Alkire (1934)

Brigadier General Darr Hayes Alkire was a pilot of the United States Army Air Corps in 1932,[4] the United States Army Air Forces (1941), and the United States Air Force (1947); and was the first commander of the World War II 100th Bombardment Group.^[1] After his 19th B-24 Liberator mission [5]^:23 when the Lurchin Urchin [6] (41-29223)[7] crashed near Cervia,[8] he was a POW commander until April 4, 1945; then marched to Stalag Luft III where on April 27 he was the West Compound commander [9] until liberated.

Alkire crashed Douglas BT-2C #31-445 at Yorktown, Texas, on April 11, 1932,[10] and was piloting the "Maui Maid" (41-28623, named for his 2nd wife) which was the first 449th Bombardment Group B-24 to land in Italy [11] (at Grottaglie Airfield). The Maui Maid was scrapped for parts after a different crew struck an embankment.[12] In 1958, Alkire appeared on television in 1958 regarding the "Rocket Age".[13]

USAAF film of Lurchin Urchin

The United States Air Force filmed the Lurchin Urchin B-24 Liberator on the mission in which Colonel Alkire was shot down.^[2]

References & notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} US Air Force Military Biographies, Annual. 2004. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0RBE/is_2004_Annual/ai_n8564955/. Retrieved 2010-11-20. 
2. ^ "Movie for the crew of the B24 bomber piloted by Col. Darr H. Alkire, January 31, 1944 crashed off the coast of Cervia" (GuitarSolos.com video). http://www.guitarsolos.com/videos-b-liberator-%5BnKDnMoTzzs0%5D.cfm.  (also at Youtube)

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Air Force.

Persondata
Name	Alkire, Darr Hayes
Alternative names
Short description	Brigadier General, USAF
Date of birth	31 December 1903
Place of birth	Fay, Nevada
Date of death	22 July 1977
Place of death