Teeple, Richard J.

RICHARD JOEL TEEPLE

TECHNICAL SERGEANT

U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS

In mid-June of 1919 Berneta (Reynolds) Teeple and David H. Teeple, both of Decatur Indiana, were married. In two years’ time on September 13th 1921 Berneta and David gave birth to their second child, Richard, but the first to live past infancy. Their first child, Raymond, died at three months of age in 1920. Richard would eventually have a total of 5 siblings. Three were sisters including: Marilyn (Roop), Catherine (Spiegel), and Joyce Ann (Ensign). He had two brothers, Donald and Raymond. Raymond, however, died in infancy.

Richard went to Decatur Catholic High School, graduating third in his class. After high school he worked as a traffic clerk for Security Cartage Company of Fort Wayne. With the outbreak of war, Richard enlisted into the Army Air Corps on August 7th 1942. He attended Aerial Gunner School in Harlingen, Texas where he was ranked 4th  in his class of several hundred men. Due to his performance, Richard was awarded the rank of Staff Sergeant. Richard was then assigned as an engineer-gunner on a B-24 Bomber eventually achieving the rank of  Technical Sergeant. 

Upon completion of his training, Sgt. Teeple was initially sent to the Caribbean Sector for anti-submarine patrol. In June 1943, he was assigned to the 373rd Bombing Squadron, 308th Bombing Group of the 14th Air Force and deployed to the China-Burma-India Theatre based in Kunming, China. 

The 14th Air Force, under the command of Major General Claire Chenault, focused on combat operations against Japanese forces. The 14th "Flying Tigers" conducted various missions, including air defense, ground attack, and strategic bombing. They provided support to Chinese ground forces, disrupted Japanese supply lines, and targeted enemy airfields, transportation networks, and industrial facilities. Their efforts were instrumental in weakening Japanese control over occupied territories. 

In China, TSgt. Teeple was Flight Engineer on the B-24 (serial number 42-40874) "Flub Dub" piloted by 1st Lt. Robert King. Richard wrote in a letter home about a mission where the crew was forced to bail out over the Himalayan Mountains. He wrote, "what a thrill it was to see his parachute blossom out in the sky". The entire crew parachuted to safety, were aided and fed by grateful Chinese civilians, and made it back safely to the air base. 

On the morning of May 28, 1944 Technical Sergeant Richard Joel Teeple was assigned as Flight Engineer on a mission with the crew of the B-24J (serial number 43-73309)  “Trouble Maker” piloted by 1st Lt. Kenneth Starcher. The "Trouble Maker" flew the day prior on a sea search mission from Kweilin, China but was diverted to Lingling, China to land because of bad weather forcing the closure of the air field at Kweilin. On the morning of the 28th, the crew was attempting a return flight back to Kweilin and crashed ten minutes after takeoff and 60 miles outside of Kweilin on a railroad. The aircraft was completely destroyed and the entire crew perished. 

An article in the Decatur Daily Democrat included excerpts of a letter sent to the Teeple Family by Major James Maher, executive officer of the 308th Bombardment Group which said, "Richard was an old and valued member of this organization and his loss is deeply felt. He was a fine soldier and gentleman, and you can well be proud of him". 

Richard J. Teeple was the twenty-first Adams County serviceman to die or have been killed in the war according to a Decatur Daily Democrat article on June 8, 1944. The crew was interred at a temporary cemetery near the American headquarters at Kunming, China. 

Upon the completion of war, TSgt. Teeple's remains were returned to Decatur and a funeral was held on October 27, 1947. His remains were the first of all Adams County WWII dead buried overseas to be returned for burial. He is interred at Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Decatur. 

For his service and sacrifice, TSgt. Teeple was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Purple Heart, and the WWII Victory Medal. 

Information researched and collected by Christian Meek (2014) and Jordan Garlinger (2019).

SOURCES

 Cox, Jim. Richard J. Teeple. Find a Grave, 14 Apr. 2011,                                                               https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=68372051.

David Henry Teeple. Ancestry, Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938- 1946 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005. 

Decatur Daily Democrat, Sgt. Richard Teeple. June 8th, 1944.

Decatur Daily Democrat, Rites Set Friday for Decatur Soldier. October 23, 1947.

Indiana Historical Bureau, comp. Gold Star Honor Roll: Adams County. Bloomington: Indiana    War History Commission, 1949. Print. Vol. 1 of Indiana in World War II.

King, Karin. Richard Joel Teeple (1921-1944) - Find A Grave... Find A Grave, October 16,     2018.         https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/194032682/richard-joel-teeple.

The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration     Cards for Indiana, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 781. https://search.ancestryclassroom.com/cgi-  bin/sse.dll?db=YMDraftCardsWWII&indiv=try&h=41017465

Yearbook Staff, ed. 1936 Yearbook. Decatur, IN: Decatur Catholic High School, 1937. Print.

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