View source for Darr H. Alkire

{{short description|Brigadier General, USAF}}
{{Infobox military person
|name               = Darr Hayes Alkire
|image              = Darr Alkire.jpg
|caption=
|birth_date         = {{birth date|1903|12|31}}
|death_date         = {{Death date and age|1977|7|22|1903|12|31}}
|birth_place        = [[Fay, Nevada]], US<ref name=USAF/>
|death_place        = [[Salt Lake City, Utah]], US
|placeofburial      = National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu
|placeofburial_label= Place of Burial
|nickname=
|allegiance         = {{flag|United States}}
|branch             = [[File:Prop and wings.svg|25px]] [[United States Army Air Service]] <br/> [[File:Roundel of the United States (1919–1941).svg|25px]] [[United States Army Air Corps]]<br/>[[File:US Army Air Corps Hap Arnold Wings.svg|25px]] [[United States Army Air Forces]]<br/>[[File:Seal of the US Air Force.svg|25px]] [[United States Air Force]]
|serviceyears       = March 10, 1924-October 31, 1956<ref name=USAF/>
|rank               = [[File:US-O7 insignia.svg|20px]] [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier general]]
|commands           =  1937: [[96th Bomb Squadron]]<br>1942: [[2d Bombardment Group]]<br>1942:  [[100th Bombardment Group]]<br>1943: [[449th Bombardment Group]]<br>1954: [[Newark Liberty International Airport#History|Newark Transportation Control Depot]]<br>1954: 3101st Logistics Control Group<ref name=USAF/>
|battles            = [[World War II]]<br>[[Korean War]]
|awards             = [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]] (Army Design)<ref name="valor">{{cite web|title=Hall of Valor Project, Darr Hayes Alkire|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/24911#188974|website=valor.militarytimes.com|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref><br>[[Silver Star]]<ref name=USAF/><br>[[Prisoner of War Medal]]<ref name=valor/><br>[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<ref name=USAF/><br>[[Air Medal]] with [[Oak Leaf Clusters]]<ref name=USAF/>
|spouse             = Ruth Eleanor McKee (1927-28) <br> Alma Tate Robinson (1930+)
|children           = Michael Elliott Alkire (1927) <br> Darryl Ann Alkire (1932) <br> Jacqueline Hayes Alkire (1934) <br> Barbara Hoogs (1925, step daughter)
|laterwork          =       }}
'''Brigadier General Darr Hayes Alkire''' (1903–1977) was a pilot for the [[United States Army Air Service]], [[United States Army Air Corps]], the [[United States Army Air Forces]], and the [[United States Air Force]]. He was the senior officer in command of the West Compound at [[Stalag Luft III]] prisoner of war camp after being shot down and captured in 1944.
==Early life==
Alkire was born in [[Fay, Nevada]], On December 31, 1903, to Chester and Henrietta Alkire.<ref name="1910census">{{cite web |title=1910 US Census |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB7-987Z?i=13&cc=1727033 |website=familysearch.org |access-date=2 August 2018}}</ref> He had a younger sister, Helen, and younger brother, Ross.<ref name=1910census/> Alkire graduated from high School in [[Salt Lake City, Utah]] and spent two years studying at the [[University of Utah]] before joining the [[US Army]].<ref name=USAF/>
==Air Force career==
Alkire was appointed flying cadet at [[Brooks Air Force Base|Brooks Field]], Texas in 1924. After graduating from flight school, he was assigned to the [[6th Weapons Squadron|6th Pursuit Squadron]] at [[Wheeler Army Airfield|Wheeler Field]] Hawaii. In 1930, he became a flight instructor at [[March Air Reserve Base|March Field]] in California and then a flight instructor at [[Randolph Air Force Base|Randolph Field]] in Texas.<ref name=USAF/> While stationed at Randolph, Alkire had a forced landing/accident in a [[Douglas BT-2]]C (#31-445) in [[Yorktown, Texas]], on April 11, 1932.<ref>{{cite web|title=Randolph Field, Texas Accident Listings|url=http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/randolph.html|website=accident-report.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828235035/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/randolph.html|access-date=18 March 2018|archive-date=2012-08-28}}</ref>
During [[World War II]], Alkire took over command of the [[2d Bombardment Group]] in January 1942,<ref>{{cite web |title=2nd Bombbardment Group |url=http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/2nd_Bombardment_Group.html#2 |website=HistoryofWar.org |access-date=8 June 2018}}</ref> and became the first commander of the [[100th Air Refueling Wing#World War II|100th Bombardment Group]] in November 1942.<ref name=USAF>{{cite web|title=BRIGADIER GENERAL DARR HAYES ALKIRE|url=http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107868/brigadier-general-darr-hayes-alkire/|website=af.mil|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref> In November 1943, Alkire became the commander of the [[449th  Air Expeditionary Group#World War II|449th Bombardment Group]]. On December 18, 1943, Alkire piloted the ''Maui Maid'' (41-28623) to [[Grottaglie Airfield]], making it the first [[449th Air Expeditionary Group#World War II|449th Bombardment Group]] B-24 to land in Italy.<ref name="Livingston">{{cite web|last1=Livingstone|first1=Robert|title=Maui Maid|url=http://www.b24bestweb.com/mauimaid.htm|website=b24bestweb.com|access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref> The ''Maui Maid'' was scrapped for parts after it struck an embankment on January 30, 1944.<ref name=Livingston/>
===Prisoner of war===
[[File:449th B-24 with Bar A painted on tail.jpg|thumb|449th B-24 with Bar A painted on tail]]
Returning from his 19th [[B-24 Liberator]] mission on January 31, 1944, the ''Lurchin Urchin'' <ref>{{cite web|title=Aviano Air Base, Italy|url=http://www.themilitarystandard.com/afb/europe/aviano.php|website=themilitarystandard.com|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref>(41-29223) was shot down and crashed near Aeroporto Aviano. He was captured by the Germans and sent to [[Dulag Luft]] prisoner of war camp, then marched to [[Stalag Luft III]].<ref name=afhrastudy91part0>{{cite web |url=https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/51-100/AFD-090601-134.pdf |title=Biographical Data on Air Force General Officers, 1917-1952 |pages=32–34 |year=1953 |last=Fogerty |first=Robert |publisher=[[Air Force Historical Research Agency]] |access-date=November 9, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116133011/http://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/51-100/AFD-090601-134.pdf |archive-date=2017-01-16 }}</ref> When the West Compound at Stalag Luft III opened on April 27, 1944, Alkire was made the senior officer in command until liberation in April 1945.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hatton|first1=Greg|title="Stories My Father Never Told Me"|url=http://www.b24.net/powStoriesLuft3.htm|website=B24.net|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Gordon|first1=George|title="grottaglie, and home" a history of the 449th bomb group forty-seventh wing ...|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VhlEFfwIMMMC&pg=PA136|website=Google Books|year=1989 |access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=COL Darr H. ALKIRE|url=https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=50&Itemid=334|website=100thbg.com|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref> Both a book and a movie were made about the [[The Great Escape (movie)|Great Escape]] by prisoners in the North Compound of Stalag Luft III during Alkire's internment.
The USAAF filmed the ''Lurchin Urchin'' B-24 Liberator on the mission in which Colonel Alkire was shot down.<ref>{{cite web|title=B 24 Liberator|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKDnMoTzzs0|website=YouTube.com|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref> On February 14, 1944, the B-24s in the 449th had a large "Bar A" painted on their tail in his honor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tail Shot |url=http://www.b24bestweb.com/159-v3.htm |website=B24BestWeb.com |access-date=28 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Our Baby|url=http://www.b24bestweb.com/ourbaby-v1-3.htm|website=b24bestweb.com|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=B-24 Aircraft|url=https://449th.com/b-24-aircraft|website=449th.com|access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref>
==Airline career==
In 1929, Alkire took a three-month leave from the Army Air Corp while stationed in Hawaii to help [[Hawaiian Airlines|Inter-Island Airways]] begin flight operations. At the time, Inter-Island had a [[Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker|Bellanca Pacemaker]] and two [[Sikorsky S-38]] flying boats.<ref name=thiele/> He was the third pilot hired, behind [[Charles Irving Elliott|Charles Elliott]] and [[Carl Cover]].<ref name=thiele>{{Cite book|title=Kennedy's Hawaiian Air|last=Thiele|first=Ray|publisher=Olomana Publishers|year=1994|isbn=0-9643365-0-2}}</ref> The inaugural day of scheduled air-service in the Hawaiian Islands took place on [[Armistice Day]], November 11, 1929. The ceremonies were attended by thousands of residents and led by Hawaii Territorial [[Lawrence M. Judd|Governor Lawrence M. Judd]] and Inter-Island Airways founder [[Stanley Kennedy Sr.|Stan Kennedy]]. As champagne and floral leis christened the two Sikorky's for their voyage, Alkire flew overhead in the Bellanca capturing the scene on film. He then joined formation with 49 military aircraft for a [[Flypast|fly-by]] as the two Sikorsky's departed.<ref name=thiele/>
==Personal life==
In 1927, Alkire married Ruth McKee in [[Honolulu]] and had one child with her, Michael Alkire. They divorced in 1928.<ref>{{cite web |title=California, Biographical Index Cards, 1781–1990 |url=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2412&h=15792&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=oIu61&_phstart=successSource |website=ancestry.com |access-date=19 October 2018}}</ref> In 1930, Alkire married [[Maui]] born Alma Tate Robinson, who was mother to Barbara. They had two daughters together, Darryl Ann and Jacqueline.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alma Tate Robinson Obituary |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9KJ-5JBC |website=familysearch.org|accessdate=19 October 2018}}</ref> Alkire's B-24 ''Maui Maid'' was named in honor of Alma.<ref name=Livingston/> Michael followed in his father's footsteps and became a pilot in the USAF, but lost his life in a plane crash at the age of 22. Michael is buried at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite web |title=New York Times Obituaries, 1950 |url=https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/50000/94271656/899711?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dYearbooksIndex%26h%3d287636706%26indiv%3dtry%26o_vc%3dRecord%253aOtherRecord%26rhSource%3d2590&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord |website=ancestry.com |accessdate=19 October 2018}}</ref>
==Later life==
Alkire retired from the Air Force in 1956 and moved back to Salt Lake City. In 1958, Alkire appeared on a Salt Lake City television interview series regarding the [[Cold War]], titled ''"What Security in the Rocket Age?"''<ref>{{cite web|title=The Deseret News|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VxcuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=e0gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5421,3467711&dq=darr-alkire&hl=en|website=Google News|access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref> Alkire died on July 22, 1977, and is buried at the [[National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific]], in [[Honolulu]], Hawaii.
==References and notes==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alkire, Darr Hayes}}
{{US Air Force}}
[[Category:1903 births]]
[[Category:1977 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Lincoln County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Nevada]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Utah]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Air Force generals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]
[[Category:Aviators from Hawaii]]
[[Category:Aviators from Nevada]]
[[Category:Aviators from Utah]]
[[Category:Hawaiian Airlines people]]
[[Category:Prisoners of war]]
[[Category:American prisoners of war in World War II]]
[[Category:Burials in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific]]