By Deborah Larsen
Ronald Orville Bade
Ronald Orville Bade was born in Lapeer, Michigan, on February 8, 1922, the son of Oscar and Carrie Carlow Bade. Oscar Bade died when Ronald was seven years old, and Carrie Bade moved with her four sons to Rochester in 1930. The family lived on Wilcox Street. Ronald attended Rochester High School and graduated with the class of 1940.
After graduation, Ronald worked for Michigan Bell Telephone Company. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in September 1942. He received his flight training at bases in Nebraska, Texas, and Missouri, earning his pilot wings in February 1944. Ronald was sent overseas in late 1944 and assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron of the 350th Bomb Group, flying the P-47 Thunderbolt.
On April 25, 1945, Ronald was piloting a P-47 in a two-ship armed reconnaissance mission that departed from Pisa, Italy. His aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and disabled, but Ronald performed a controlled crash into a plowed field. The pilot of the second ship reported that he had seen Lt. Bade’s flare and had seen him walking away from the scene of the crash. The second pilot also observed local citizens waving white flags and assisting the downed flier.
Ronald’s family in Rochester was notified that he was missing in action in early May 1945, but only days later learned that he had returned safely to his unit. In June, he was able to come home on furlough, and he was discharged in October 1945. He had flown a total of 122 missions in the European Theater, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
After the war, Ronald married and had a family, and returned to work for Michigan Bell Telephone as a lineman. Ronald Orville Bade died on August 21, 2019, at the age of 97.