Major Manuel Allen Pidcock

June 17, 1921 ~ July 27, 1956

Reprinted with permission

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

Funeral services for Manuel Allen Pidcock were held Wednesday, August 1, 1956 with burial in Oak Park Cemetery in Chandler.

Manuel was born June 17, 1921 to Que C. and Flora (Hutchison) Pidcock in Sparks, Oklahoma and passed away on July 27, 1956 over the town of Milford Utah. He was flying in close formation with 2 other planes at 35,000 feet when his plane collided with that of the base commander. He was stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis New Mexico at the time of his death. He was still commander of the 429th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 474th Fighter Bomber Group there. Manuel was a graduate of the 1939 Chandler High School Class and had served with the Oklahoma National Guard 45th Division before entering flight training.

He was commissioned July 29, 1948. After B 17 bomber training , he and his crew went to England where they were assigned to the 8th Air Force. He flew 25 combat missions in the B-17 bomber.

After he completed that tour, he returned to the US and began training in fighter aircraft. He was assigned to Italy and flew 66 combat missions in P-47 fighters. During his time there, he was forced to bail out of his plane twice.

He received his senior pilot training in 1951. He served as flight instructor at several bases in Texas, Florida, and Georgia. He then went to Korea as commander of the 429th Fighter Bomber Squadron, before returning a year later to the US as commander at Cannon.

He had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with the Six Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, a World War ll Victory Medal , The European Middle East Campaign Medal, United Nationals Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster, German Occupation Medal, Korean Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Reserve Service Medal and American Defense Ribbon.

He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Chandler Chapter and the Methodist Church.

He married Marilyn Harris in Chandler on December 8, 1946 and she survives him. He is also survived by his parents, Que and Flora Pidcock ; and his two sisters, Mrs. Nancy Jane Dusenberry and Miss Peggy Sue Pidcock, both of Baton Rouge La.