By Deborah Larsen
Keith Franklin Pickering
Keith Franklin Pickering was born in Rochester, Michigan, on January 15, 1923, the son of Lester and Nellie Howard Pickering. He attended Rochester High School and graduated in the class of 1940. Before the war, Keith worked for Ford Motor Company.
In December 1942, Keith entered the U.S. Army Air Forces. He trained as a B-24 bomber pilot and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was assigned to the 752nd Squadron of the 458th Bombardment Group, based in England. The 458th flew over 200 missions targeting Nazi supply lines in Germany. Keith was awarded an Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters for his service.
After the war, Keith remained in the Air Force Reserve until 1957. He married, started a family, and worked as a financial analyst with Chrysler Defense, later known as General Dynamics.
Keith Franklin Pickering died at the age of 88 on March 23, 2011, and was laid to rest at Great Lakes National Cemetery.