Anthony J. Duplechin, b. Cottonport, LA, 7/3/1923, d. New Orleans, LA, 8/28/1986

Eighth Air Force, 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 422nd Squadron
Chelveston Air Field, England, UK

Photo: B-17, October, 1944

Top row from left to right: Frank J. Condreras, Top Turret Gunner- Brooklyn, NY- Flight Engineer; Anthony J. Duplechin, Co-pilot- New Orleans, LA; Herman Henry Laumeier III, Pilot- Washington, DC; Bowman L. Smith, Navigator- Maryville, TN; Alan Merril, Bombardier-Chicago, IL

Bottom row from left to right: Roy J. Smith, Tailgunner- Minneapolis, MN; Windy Winwood, Waistgunner- Pittsburgh PA; James J. Murphy, Waistgunner- Redwood City, CA; John W. Williams, Radioman- Memphis, TN; John R. (Biff) Smith, Ball Turret- Wenatchee, WA

Unbeknownst to him, the years he enjoyed studying and building model airplanes were a precursor to Anthony J. Duplechin's upcoming experiences with flight training and duty as a young officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps in WWII, commencing in October, 1942. Assigned to the 8th Air Force, 305th Bombardment Group, 422nd Squadron, he was stationed in Chelveston Air Field, England, where he was a B-17 co-pilot. As a USAF reserve officer in Louisiana, he flew C-130 Hercules Transports from 1954 until his retirement as Colonel in 1976.

In his 30s, he graduated from model airplanes to his own series of single-engine airplanes which were kept at nearby airfields. In the last few years of his life, he also had a "fixer-upper" which he worked on regularly, but it was parked in the family's back yard, visible to the whole world since the house was on a corner. To his offsprings' horror, whenever they would explain to friends where they lived, it was inevitably met with "You mean the house with the AIRPLANE in the back yard?" This brought him great delight.

Until the day he died suddenly of a heart attack in 1987 (after having worked on his airplane earlier in the day), his mind was on flying. Had he been able to visit the Udvar-Hazy Center, nobody would have been able to get him out.

One of his B-17 crew mates, Frank J. Condreras, wrote a memoir of his training and time in the 305th Bomb Group, The Lady from Hell. It is an inspiring account of training and the experiences of their missions. He is commemorated as an Air and Space Leader on the Wall of Honor.