Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Branch: U.S. Air Force
Unit: 332nd Fighter Wing, Lockbourne Army Air Base
Military Honors: Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross
Date of Sacrifice: September 18, 1947, Lockbourne Army Air Base, Columbus, Ohio
Age: 27
Conflict: No declared conflict

Raised in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., Andrew Turner would grow up to become one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen and a hero of World War II (1939-1945).

Turner’s family lived in the Deanwood neighborhood on the city’s northeast side, where his father, Rev. Clarence W. Turner, was a founding member of the First Baptist Church. Andrew had four brothers—John, Thomas, Clarence Jr., and Herbert—and one sister, Alice. He attended Deanwood Elementary and Dunbar High Schools.

As a young man, Andrew worked as a telephone operator. He and his wife Beatrice later welcomed a son, Andrew Jr.

Earning his wings

As the U.S. drew closer to direct involvement in the war, Andrew joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at Howard University and later trained at Alabama’s Tuskegee Airfield. He graduated with class 42-I-SE in October 1942.

One of the first Tuskegee Airmen to earn his wings, Turner was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, 100th Fighter Squadron of the Army Air Forces. The 332nd served in North Africa and Italy.

Pilots in the 332nd flew P-51 Mustang fighters, nicknamed “Red Tails” because their chosen unit identification on the planes included red-painted tails and noses. The heroic performance of the Tuskegee Airmen in combat captivated the nation and was instrumental in the eventual racial integration of the U.S. armed forces.

Desegregation wouldn’t take place until July of 1948, when President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which read, in part:

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale.

At some point, Andrew Turner was given the nickname “Jug.” On the nose of his P-51 Red Tail (#42-103960), he had “Skipper’s Darlin’ III” painted in black and yellow script letters.

Taking command

On June 22, 1944, Turner’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Robert B. Tresville, led the 100th Fighter Squadron on a forty-eight plane strafing mission against an enemy supply line in northern Italy. Taking off from Ramitelli Air Base—located in southern Italy along the Adriatic Sea—the attacking force made its way north and over the Ligurian Sea.

Lieutenant Tresville’s single-seat P-47D Thunderbolt (# 42-75798) crashed into the water, and he was unable to escape. Andrew “Jug” Turner was given command of the 100th Fighter Squadron.

On July 18, 1944, Turner was credited with the probable shoot-down of a Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me 109. The German fighter jet was heavily damaged, but no one witnessed a crash. In World War II’s European theater, he’d complete 69 missions and over 400 hours of combat flying the Skipper’s Darlin III before the war’s end.

Post-war service

Turner survived World War II, celebrating the Allied victories in Europe and the Pacific. After the war, he chose to remain in the service. Rapid demobilization brought changes to the structure of the Army Air Forces, and the National Security Act of 1947 created the Department of the Air Force—its own independent branch of the U.S. military.

When he returned to the U.S. in 1945, Turner served as Deputy Group Commander for the 477th Composite Group at Fort Knox’s Godman Field in Kentucky. He also served as Wing Plans and Training Officer for the 332nd Fighter Wing at Lockbourne Airfield in Columbus, Ohio.

On September 18, 1947, Turner was flying a P-47N Thunderbolt at Lockbourne when he collided with another aircraft. Both pilots were lost. “Jug” Turner, Tuskegee Airman and hero of World War II, was 27 years old.

Five days later, Major Andrew D. Turner was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. (Section 8, Site 5342).

Maj. Turner earned the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Distinguished Flying Cross.

Sources
The Afro-American, Oct. 31, 1942: Washington Cadet Now a Flying Lieutenant
American Air Museum in Britain: Andrew D Turner
Palm Springs Air Museum: Turner and Briggs
The Arizona Sun, Oct 3, 1947: Veteran Fighter Pilot Buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency: CAPT Robert B Tresville Jr
The Afro-American, Dec. 7, 1946: Leaders of the 477th Trained in Combat
Evening Star, Sep. 19, 1947: Washington Major Killed in Air Crash
Evening Star, Sep. 21, 1947: Turner, Maj. Andrew D.
Burial Site: Find a Grave