Pvt. Erik Thomas Hildebrandt
(1922 - 1994)
Profile
Erik Thomas Hildebrandt was one of the Danish nationals serving in the US Army Air Forces. He enlisted in September 1943 and was trained at the technical training school at Buckley Field. It is not established if he served overseas.
Erik Thomas Hildebrandt was born on 2 May 1922 in Nakskov, to Knud Hildebrandt and Olga Dagmar Agnethe Hildebrandt (née Melchior-Hansen).[1]
The family emigrated to the United States arriving in New York on 2 November 1925 onboard the SS Adriatic. [2] Their final destination was at his uncle in Lamar, Colorado. The family lived in West Farm, Lamar throughout his youth.[3]
At the time of his draft, in June 1942, he was a student at the Indiana Technical College, Fort Wayne, Indiana.[4]
Hildebrandt enlisted in the US Army Air Force on 10 September 1943 in Denver, Colorado (37705376). [5] There are very little information on his service at this point, other than that he served as a private at 771th Technical School Squadron at Buckley Field in Colorado in early 1944. [6] Buckley Field was activated as a technical school for fighters armaments training on 1 July 1942.[7]
It is not known if he served overseas. He was discharged on 13 May 1946.[8]
Hildebrandt was naturalised as a US Citizen on 10 February 1944.[9] He died in Sun City, Maricopa, Arizona, on 10 February 1994.[10]
Endnotes
[1] DNA: Parish register, Branderslev Sogn.
[2] Ancestry: New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957.
[3] Ancestry: 1930 United States Federal Census; 1940 United States Federal Census.
[4] Ancestry: U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947.
[5] Ancestry: U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.
[6] Ancestry: Colorado, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1868-1990.
[7] Buckley Air Force Base Heritage, https://www.buckley.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/322400/buckley-air-force-base-heritage/ (accessed on 28 February 2024).
[8] Ancestry: U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.
[9] Ancestry: Colorado, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1868-1990.
[10] Ancestry: U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014.