Theodore J. Kleuser was the son of German parents, John Kleuser and Marie Helen Barzen and the grandson of German immigrants. He was raised and educated in Pulaski County, Arkansas. Prior to his joining the Army, he worked as a saleman for an oil station. His father would die in December 1944.
The 1940 US Census shows the Kleuser's as living in the Badgett Township, Pulaski County, Arkansas with the following family living in the home:
Head John Kleuser M 52 Arkansas
Wife Marie Kleuser F 50 Arkansas
Son John E. Kleuser M 26 Arkansas
Son Theordore J. Kleuser M 23 Arkansas
Father-in-law Peter Barzen M 86 Germany
Ted enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After the completion of basic training, he was sent to various Service Schools throughout the United States, eventually qualifying as a pilot and earning his Army Air Corps pilot wings. He was assigned to the 551st Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, a B-17 "Flying Fortress" command, and departed for England and joining the "Mighty Eighth", 8th Air Force.
On 12/5/1943, the 551st was assigned to make a bombing run on the German submarine pens located at Bordeaux, France. Ted and his crew flew a B-17 named "The Fighting Cock", Sn#42-3397. They were not familiar with this plane as they normally flew on a plane called "Mary Pat".
The weather over Bordeaux was cloudy/overcast so the planes turned to return to England without dropping their bomb load. They flew out over the Bay of Biscay when the bomber they were in developed engine trouble and dropped out of the formation, flying alone about four miles behind the rest of the squadron formation. Two German fighters came upon the plane and began an attack from above and below the bomber, resulting in severe damage to the aft end of the plane and a fire in the radio room. Sgt.'s Degraw, O'Keefe and Wysokinski were severely wounded during the attack. Ted ordered the men to abandon ship but then made the decision to ditch into the ocean with a belly landing. They were approximately 20 miles away from shore when Ted turned the plane around and began heading back towards France as the plane descended. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk, who were not wounded had been jettisoning out burning equipment prior to the landing. After Ted successfully brought the plane down on the water masterfully belly landing the plane. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk immediately began inflating two rubber life rafts. The crew escaped the burning plane and the German fighters broke off from their attack. Sgt. Wysokinski was placed in a Raft #1 with Ted and Lt. Albert, along with Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk. Sgt.'s O'Keefe and Degraw were placed in Raft #2 with Sgt. Hibbard and Lt.'s Betow and Slater. The rafts began taking enemy fire from the shore. For unknown reason's, perhaps to signal they were surrendering, Ted stood up in his raft and was immediately shot in the head by the enemy, killing him. Lt. Albert was also shot. Sgt. Day tried to keep a hold of the bodies of Lt. Albert and the now dead Sgt. Wysokinski but lost his grip on them and in the two to three foot high waves they slipped away. Sgt.'s O'Keefe and Degraw were dying in their raft. Raft #2 drifted away from Raft #1 and was headed towards shore were the German troops had been firing. Rifle and machine-gun fire were heard by the survivors in Raft #1. Only Betow survived from Raft #2 as he had apparently left the raft at some point.
After a number of hours had passed, the men in Raft #1 were picked up by a German Air-Sea Rescue plane. Lt. Albert died in the planes first-aid room. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk survived and would later be interred in a POW camp in Krems, Austria. Lt. Betow was later picked up by a German sea plane and also was held as a POW until the end of the war.
Ted's body and the bodies of Sgt.'s Hibbard, Degraw and O'Keefe were never recovered and assumed to have been taken by the sea along with the bodies of Lt.'s Albert and Sgt. Wysokinski. Lt. Slater's body was found and was taken to a German Air/Sea Rescue First Aid Station. It is unknown if he died from being shot by the Germans or if he drowned.
The enemy troops who shot up Raft #2 were not German troops but a German unit made up of troops from India who had served with the British Army. They had been captured in Tobruk North Africa and had agreed to fight for the Germans in lieu of being held as POW's.
The crew on The Fighting Cock that day were as follows:
Pilot 1st Lt. Theodore J. Kleuser, Sn. #O-670568 - KIA
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. John W. Slater, Sn. #O-804745 - KIA
Navigator 1st Lt. Frederick D. Albert, Sn. #O-797228 - KIA
Bombardier 1st Lt. Thomas H. Betow, Sn. #O-738687 - POW
Top Ball Gunner Sgt. Ernest A. Hibbard, Sn. #35267660 - KIA
Radioman/Gunner T/Sgt Walter V. Olowniuk, Sn. #36513459
Belly Gunner S/Sgt Stanley Wysokinski, Sn. #12059857 - KIA
Tail Gunner S/Sgt Stewart H. Day, Jr., Sn. #14097469 - POW
Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Leo E. Degraw, Sn. #32462686 - POW
Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt James W. O'Keefe, Sn. #32447695 - KIA
First Lieutenant Theodore J. Kleuser, Sn. #O-670568, earned the following badges/decorations for his service during World War II:
- Army Air Corps Aerial Pilot wings
- Purple Heart Medal
- Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters
- American Campaign Medal
- European Theater of Operations Medal with two bronze battle/campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
The 1940 US Census shows the Kleuser's as living in the Badgett Township, Pulaski County, Arkansas with the following family living in the home:
Head John Kleuser M 52 Arkansas
Wife Marie Kleuser F 50 Arkansas
Son John E. Kleuser M 26 Arkansas
Son Theordore J. Kleuser M 23 Arkansas
Father-in-law Peter Barzen M 86 Germany
Ted enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After the completion of basic training, he was sent to various Service Schools throughout the United States, eventually qualifying as a pilot and earning his Army Air Corps pilot wings. He was assigned to the 551st Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, a B-17 "Flying Fortress" command, and departed for England and joining the "Mighty Eighth", 8th Air Force.
On 12/5/1943, the 551st was assigned to make a bombing run on the German submarine pens located at Bordeaux, France. Ted and his crew flew a B-17 named "The Fighting Cock", Sn#42-3397. They were not familiar with this plane as they normally flew on a plane called "Mary Pat".
The weather over Bordeaux was cloudy/overcast so the planes turned to return to England without dropping their bomb load. They flew out over the Bay of Biscay when the bomber they were in developed engine trouble and dropped out of the formation, flying alone about four miles behind the rest of the squadron formation. Two German fighters came upon the plane and began an attack from above and below the bomber, resulting in severe damage to the aft end of the plane and a fire in the radio room. Sgt.'s Degraw, O'Keefe and Wysokinski were severely wounded during the attack. Ted ordered the men to abandon ship but then made the decision to ditch into the ocean with a belly landing. They were approximately 20 miles away from shore when Ted turned the plane around and began heading back towards France as the plane descended. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk, who were not wounded had been jettisoning out burning equipment prior to the landing. After Ted successfully brought the plane down on the water masterfully belly landing the plane. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk immediately began inflating two rubber life rafts. The crew escaped the burning plane and the German fighters broke off from their attack. Sgt. Wysokinski was placed in a Raft #1 with Ted and Lt. Albert, along with Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk. Sgt.'s O'Keefe and Degraw were placed in Raft #2 with Sgt. Hibbard and Lt.'s Betow and Slater. The rafts began taking enemy fire from the shore. For unknown reason's, perhaps to signal they were surrendering, Ted stood up in his raft and was immediately shot in the head by the enemy, killing him. Lt. Albert was also shot. Sgt. Day tried to keep a hold of the bodies of Lt. Albert and the now dead Sgt. Wysokinski but lost his grip on them and in the two to three foot high waves they slipped away. Sgt.'s O'Keefe and Degraw were dying in their raft. Raft #2 drifted away from Raft #1 and was headed towards shore were the German troops had been firing. Rifle and machine-gun fire were heard by the survivors in Raft #1. Only Betow survived from Raft #2 as he had apparently left the raft at some point.
After a number of hours had passed, the men in Raft #1 were picked up by a German Air-Sea Rescue plane. Lt. Albert died in the planes first-aid room. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk survived and would later be interred in a POW camp in Krems, Austria. Lt. Betow was later picked up by a German sea plane and also was held as a POW until the end of the war.
Ted's body and the bodies of Sgt.'s Hibbard, Degraw and O'Keefe were never recovered and assumed to have been taken by the sea along with the bodies of Lt.'s Albert and Sgt. Wysokinski. Lt. Slater's body was found and was taken to a German Air/Sea Rescue First Aid Station. It is unknown if he died from being shot by the Germans or if he drowned.
The enemy troops who shot up Raft #2 were not German troops but a German unit made up of troops from India who had served with the British Army. They had been captured in Tobruk North Africa and had agreed to fight for the Germans in lieu of being held as POW's.
The crew on The Fighting Cock that day were as follows:
Pilot 1st Lt. Theodore J. Kleuser, Sn. #O-670568 - KIA
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. John W. Slater, Sn. #O-804745 - KIA
Navigator 1st Lt. Frederick D. Albert, Sn. #O-797228 - KIA
Bombardier 1st Lt. Thomas H. Betow, Sn. #O-738687 - POW
Top Ball Gunner Sgt. Ernest A. Hibbard, Sn. #35267660 - KIA
Radioman/Gunner T/Sgt Walter V. Olowniuk, Sn. #36513459
Belly Gunner S/Sgt Stanley Wysokinski, Sn. #12059857 - KIA
Tail Gunner S/Sgt Stewart H. Day, Jr., Sn. #14097469 - POW
Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Leo E. Degraw, Sn. #32462686 - POW
Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt James W. O'Keefe, Sn. #32447695 - KIA
First Lieutenant Theodore J. Kleuser, Sn. #O-670568, earned the following badges/decorations for his service during World War II:
- Army Air Corps Aerial Pilot wings
- Purple Heart Medal
- Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters
- American Campaign Medal
- European Theater of Operations Medal with two bronze battle/campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
Theodore J. Kleuser was the son of German parents, John Kleuser and Marie Helen Barzen and the grandson of German immigrants. He was raised and educated in Pulaski County, Arkansas. Prior to his joining the Army, he worked as a saleman for an oil station. His father would die in December 1944.
The 1940 US Census shows the Kleuser's as living in the Badgett Township, Pulaski County, Arkansas with the following family living in the home:
Head John Kleuser M 52 Arkansas
Wife Marie Kleuser F 50 Arkansas
Son John E. Kleuser M 26 Arkansas
Son Theordore J. Kleuser M 23 Arkansas
Father-in-law Peter Barzen M 86 Germany
Ted enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After the completion of basic training, he was sent to various Service Schools throughout the United States, eventually qualifying as a pilot and earning his Army Air Corps pilot wings. He was assigned to the 551st Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, a B-17 "Flying Fortress" command, and departed for England and joining the "Mighty Eighth", 8th Air Force.
On 12/5/1943, the 551st was assigned to make a bombing run on the German submarine pens located at Bordeaux, France. Ted and his crew flew a B-17 named "The Fighting Cock", Sn#42-3397. They were not familiar with this plane as they normally flew on a plane called "Mary Pat".
The weather over Bordeaux was cloudy/overcast so the planes turned to return to England without dropping their bomb load. They flew out over the Bay of Biscay when the bomber they were in developed engine trouble and dropped out of the formation, flying alone about four miles behind the rest of the squadron formation. Two German fighters came upon the plane and began an attack from above and below the bomber, resulting in severe damage to the aft end of the plane and a fire in the radio room. Sgt.'s Degraw, O'Keefe and Wysokinski were severely wounded during the attack. Ted ordered the men to abandon ship but then made the decision to ditch into the ocean with a belly landing. They were approximately 20 miles away from shore when Ted turned the plane around and began heading back towards France as the plane descended. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk, who were not wounded had been jettisoning out burning equipment prior to the landing. After Ted successfully brought the plane down on the water masterfully belly landing the plane. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk immediately began inflating two rubber life rafts. The crew escaped the burning plane and the German fighters broke off from their attack. Sgt. Wysokinski was placed in a Raft #1 with Ted and Lt. Albert, along with Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk. Sgt.'s O'Keefe and Degraw were placed in Raft #2 with Sgt. Hibbard and Lt.'s Betow and Slater. The rafts began taking enemy fire from the shore. For unknown reason's, perhaps to signal they were surrendering, Ted stood up in his raft and was immediately shot in the head by the enemy, killing him. Lt. Albert was also shot. Sgt. Day tried to keep a hold of the bodies of Lt. Albert and the now dead Sgt. Wysokinski but lost his grip on them and in the two to three foot high waves they slipped away. Sgt.'s O'Keefe and Degraw were dying in their raft. Raft #2 drifted away from Raft #1 and was headed towards shore were the German troops had been firing. Rifle and machine-gun fire were heard by the survivors in Raft #1. Only Betow survived from Raft #2 as he had apparently left the raft at some point.
After a number of hours had passed, the men in Raft #1 were picked up by a German Air-Sea Rescue plane. Lt. Albert died in the planes first-aid room. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk survived and would later be interred in a POW camp in Krems, Austria. Lt. Betow was later picked up by a German sea plane and also was held as a POW until the end of the war.
Ted's body and the bodies of Sgt.'s Hibbard, Degraw and O'Keefe were never recovered and assumed to have been taken by the sea along with the bodies of Lt.'s Albert and Sgt. Wysokinski. Lt. Slater's body was found and was taken to a German Air/Sea Rescue First Aid Station. It is unknown if he died from being shot by the Germans or if he drowned.
The enemy troops who shot up Raft #2 were not German troops but a German unit made up of troops from India who had served with the British Army. They had been captured in Tobruk North Africa and had agreed to fight for the Germans in lieu of being held as POW's.
The crew on The Fighting Cock that day were as follows:
Pilot 1st Lt. Theodore J. Kleuser, Sn. #O-670568 - KIA
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. John W. Slater, Sn. #O-804745 - KIA
Navigator 1st Lt. Frederick D. Albert, Sn. #O-797228 - KIA
Bombardier 1st Lt. Thomas H. Betow, Sn. #O-738687 - POW
Top Ball Gunner Sgt. Ernest A. Hibbard, Sn. #35267660 - KIA
Radioman/Gunner T/Sgt Walter V. Olowniuk, Sn. #36513459
Belly Gunner S/Sgt Stanley Wysokinski, Sn. #12059857 - KIA
Tail Gunner S/Sgt Stewart H. Day, Jr., Sn. #14097469 - POW
Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Leo E. Degraw, Sn. #32462686 - POW
Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt James W. O'Keefe, Sn. #32447695 - KIA
First Lieutenant Theodore J. Kleuser, Sn. #O-670568, earned the following badges/decorations for his service during World War II:
- Army Air Corps Aerial Pilot wings
- Purple Heart Medal
- Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters
- American Campaign Medal
- European Theater of Operations Medal with two bronze battle/campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
The 1940 US Census shows the Kleuser's as living in the Badgett Township, Pulaski County, Arkansas with the following family living in the home:
Head John Kleuser M 52 Arkansas
Wife Marie Kleuser F 50 Arkansas
Son John E. Kleuser M 26 Arkansas
Son Theordore J. Kleuser M 23 Arkansas
Father-in-law Peter Barzen M 86 Germany
Ted enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After the completion of basic training, he was sent to various Service Schools throughout the United States, eventually qualifying as a pilot and earning his Army Air Corps pilot wings. He was assigned to the 551st Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, a B-17 "Flying Fortress" command, and departed for England and joining the "Mighty Eighth", 8th Air Force.
On 12/5/1943, the 551st was assigned to make a bombing run on the German submarine pens located at Bordeaux, France. Ted and his crew flew a B-17 named "The Fighting Cock", Sn#42-3397. They were not familiar with this plane as they normally flew on a plane called "Mary Pat".
The weather over Bordeaux was cloudy/overcast so the planes turned to return to England without dropping their bomb load. They flew out over the Bay of Biscay when the bomber they were in developed engine trouble and dropped out of the formation, flying alone about four miles behind the rest of the squadron formation. Two German fighters came upon the plane and began an attack from above and below the bomber, resulting in severe damage to the aft end of the plane and a fire in the radio room. Sgt.'s Degraw, O'Keefe and Wysokinski were severely wounded during the attack. Ted ordered the men to abandon ship but then made the decision to ditch into the ocean with a belly landing. They were approximately 20 miles away from shore when Ted turned the plane around and began heading back towards France as the plane descended. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk, who were not wounded had been jettisoning out burning equipment prior to the landing. After Ted successfully brought the plane down on the water masterfully belly landing the plane. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk immediately began inflating two rubber life rafts. The crew escaped the burning plane and the German fighters broke off from their attack. Sgt. Wysokinski was placed in a Raft #1 with Ted and Lt. Albert, along with Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk. Sgt.'s O'Keefe and Degraw were placed in Raft #2 with Sgt. Hibbard and Lt.'s Betow and Slater. The rafts began taking enemy fire from the shore. For unknown reason's, perhaps to signal they were surrendering, Ted stood up in his raft and was immediately shot in the head by the enemy, killing him. Lt. Albert was also shot. Sgt. Day tried to keep a hold of the bodies of Lt. Albert and the now dead Sgt. Wysokinski but lost his grip on them and in the two to three foot high waves they slipped away. Sgt.'s O'Keefe and Degraw were dying in their raft. Raft #2 drifted away from Raft #1 and was headed towards shore were the German troops had been firing. Rifle and machine-gun fire were heard by the survivors in Raft #1. Only Betow survived from Raft #2 as he had apparently left the raft at some point.
After a number of hours had passed, the men in Raft #1 were picked up by a German Air-Sea Rescue plane. Lt. Albert died in the planes first-aid room. Sgt.'s Day and Olowniuk survived and would later be interred in a POW camp in Krems, Austria. Lt. Betow was later picked up by a German sea plane and also was held as a POW until the end of the war.
Ted's body and the bodies of Sgt.'s Hibbard, Degraw and O'Keefe were never recovered and assumed to have been taken by the sea along with the bodies of Lt.'s Albert and Sgt. Wysokinski. Lt. Slater's body was found and was taken to a German Air/Sea Rescue First Aid Station. It is unknown if he died from being shot by the Germans or if he drowned.
The enemy troops who shot up Raft #2 were not German troops but a German unit made up of troops from India who had served with the British Army. They had been captured in Tobruk North Africa and had agreed to fight for the Germans in lieu of being held as POW's.
The crew on The Fighting Cock that day were as follows:
Pilot 1st Lt. Theodore J. Kleuser, Sn. #O-670568 - KIA
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. John W. Slater, Sn. #O-804745 - KIA
Navigator 1st Lt. Frederick D. Albert, Sn. #O-797228 - KIA
Bombardier 1st Lt. Thomas H. Betow, Sn. #O-738687 - POW
Top Ball Gunner Sgt. Ernest A. Hibbard, Sn. #35267660 - KIA
Radioman/Gunner T/Sgt Walter V. Olowniuk, Sn. #36513459
Belly Gunner S/Sgt Stanley Wysokinski, Sn. #12059857 - KIA
Tail Gunner S/Sgt Stewart H. Day, Jr., Sn. #14097469 - POW
Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Leo E. Degraw, Sn. #32462686 - POW
Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt James W. O'Keefe, Sn. #32447695 - KIA
First Lieutenant Theodore J. Kleuser, Sn. #O-670568, earned the following badges/decorations for his service during World War II:
- Army Air Corps Aerial Pilot wings
- Purple Heart Medal
- Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters
- American Campaign Medal
- European Theater of Operations Medal with two bronze battle/campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Arkansas.
Family Members
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