Alonzo Henry Ridgell was born on January 17, 1923 in South Carolina. He resided in Alachua County, Florida prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 30, 1941 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents. Alonzo served as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot on C-46A #42-107383, 1332nd Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-46A #42-107383 took off, with a crew of 3, from Chengkung, China on a transport mission to Mohanbari, India. They were last contacted by radio and were not seen nor heard from again on September 25, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 21, 1946. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

2Lt Ridgell was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China but death date is inscribed as 1944-09-24. Also, he is honored on the plaque at the County Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov