Wilfred Benjamin Crutchfield (1918–1968)

Wilfred Benjamin Crutchfield served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and made the military his career following the conflict, attaining the rank of colonel in the United States Air Force. He died in a plane crash in 1968, and his remains were finally recovered in 2004, along with his co-pilot’s; they are buried together in Arlington National Cemetery.  

Wilfred Crutchfield was born in Roe (Monroe County) on March 3, 1918, the only child of James and Neva Crutchfield. His father was born in Missouri and worked as an agent of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, and his mother was a native of Kentucky. His parents divorced, and by 1930, he and his mother had returned to Kentucky and she had remarried. Crutchfield grew up in Madisonville, Kentucky, and claimed it as his hometown. He graduated from Madisonville High School and was working for an advertising company in 1940 when he registered for the draft.  

Joining the Army Air Corps in 1943, Crutchfield trained as a pilot and served in the European Theater, flying P-47 Thunderbolts. Crutchfield rose to the rank of major during the war and served with the 378th Fighter Squadron before transferring to the 379th. The units were well known for ground attacks against German forces. During the Battle of the Bulge on January 22, 1945, the 379th destroyed 315 trucks, seven tanks, fifteen horse-drawn vehicles, numerous heavy gun positions, and seven half-tracks. Crutchfield received the Silver Star for his actions during the war, piloting a plane named the “Kentucky Colonel.” He was the most decorated airman from Kentucky during the war.  

After the war, Crutchfield remained in the military and transferred to the U.S. Air Force when it became operational in 1947. He served in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. By the time of his death, he had reached the rank of colonel and was serving at McChord Air Force Base in Washington State as the deputy commander for base operations.  

In April 1968, Crutchfield and Major Ivan O’Dell flew to Mather Air Force Base in California for recertification on ejection procedures. On the way back to McChord on April 15, the men received incorrect instructions from an air traffic controller at McChord. While flying a T-33 Shooting Star, a lengthened training version of the P-80 fighter, the men crashed into a glacier on Mount Rainier. Planes from the base responded to the site, which was located about 10,500 above sea level. Officials from the National Park Service described the location as almost inaccessible. Early reports claimed that the bodies of the pilots were removed but that the loose snow and the high threat of an avalanche prevented the recovery of the plane wreckage. This was incorrect, as only a few small pieces of wreckage were recovered at the time and the bodies remained on the mountain. Due to the dangerous location of the wreckage, Air Force commanders decided not to try to recover the remains.  

In September 2004, hikers discovered the plane wreckage. Over the decades, the plane had moved down the side of the mountain, and the surrounding ice thawed enough to allow access to it. Recovery of the bodies and some of the wreckage took place, and identification efforts confirmed that the remains belonged to Crutchfield and O’Dell.  

The men were laid to rest together at Arlington National Cemetery on December 7, 2005. Crutchfield was survived by his third wife and four adult children. A cenotaph for Crutchfield is located in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Madisonville.  

For additional information:
Buzanowski, J. G. “Lost Airmen Laid to Rest at Arlington.” United States Air Force, December 8, 2005. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/132524/lost-airmen-laid-to-rest-at-arlington/ (accessed May 13, 2025). 

Hughes, Matt. “Madisonville Native Honored and Remembered for Serving in 3 Wars.” Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, November 10, 2021 (updated December 20, 2021). https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/local/madisonville-native-honored-and-remembered-for-serving-in-3-wars/article_1f69b59f-c15d-5eb5-b7c4-7e992939c811.html (accessed May 13, 2025).  

“Plane Wreckage to Stay on Mt. Rainier.” Seattle Times, April 18, 1968, p. 44. 

“Wreckage Found of Missing Plane.” Seattle Times, April 16, 1968, p. 41.  

David Sesser
Southeastern Louisiana University