Captain Ralph Leland Minker, Jr. U.S. Army Air Corps

Ralph Leland Minker Jr (1924 – 2008) became a B-17 commander shortly after his 20th birthday. He entered the Army Air Corps in February 1943, trained at bases across the west, receiving his pilots wings in March, 1944. Selected for training in the B-17, he wrote home “she sure is a sweet ship.” The crew left Hunter Field in October 1944 ferrying a B-17 to England. They were assigned to the 447th Bomb Group stationed at Rattlesden Army Air Base. He was assigned plane #43-38719 which he named Blue Hen Chick to honor his home state of Delaware. The crew flew from early November throughout the Battle of the Bulge, and were awarded membership in the Lucky Bastards Club after completing 35 missions on February 26 1945. The crew returned home, Minker, however, signed on for a second tour “to finish up the job.” He returned home in September 1945, a captain with 37 missions to Germany, the recipient of the air medal with 5 oak leaf clusters and the bronze star. Returning to Dickinson College, he graduated in 1947, then went on to Boston University School of Theology. Ordained a Methodist Minister in 1952, he served 11 churches during his career and was active in civil rights throughout his ministry.

The 700 letters he and the Minker family wrote throughout the war are preserved at the Delaware Historical Society. The entire collection, plus his scrapbook of photos is available online. www.dehistory.org/minker-introduction He was proud to see the family letters edited into a book, An American Family in World War II. Ralph Minker was inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004. During the last years of his life while fighting the rages of Alzheimer’s disease, he spoke at schools about WWII and with the media about coping with Alzheimer’s. His legacy is one of man of integrity who worked for peace. He wrote his mother in November 1944: It is mighty hard work but it will be worth it if as a result the world will learn to live in peace and work for freedom, justice, security and equality for all.