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Ryland Victor Gordon, Jr.

Name:
Victor Gordon, Jr. Ryland
Rank:
First Lieutenant
Serial Number:
Unit:
493rd Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group
Date of Death:
1945-01-20
State:
California
Cemetery:
Little Rock National Cemetery, Arkansas
Plot:
13
Row:
Grave:
312
Decoration:
Comments:

Victor Gordon Ryland, Jr. was born on October 22, 1922 in Los Angeles County, California. He was the son of Victor Gordon Ryland Sr and Dorothy (Libis) Ryland.

1st Lt Ryland was the co-pilot of B-24L #44-41438, assigned to the 10th Air Force, 7th Bombardment Group, 493rd Bombardment Squadron. They were flying a load of fuel from Luliang, China to Suichwan at night. As they approached Suichwan, the tower turned off the runway lights and notified them that the airfield was under attack. A US P-61 night fighter mistook Ryland's plane for the Japanese aircraft and shot it down. He was killed along with six of his crew mates. Two others were able to parachute to safety. 1Lt Ryland is now buried in the Little Rock National Cemetery, Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA in a common grave with his crew.

He was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com