December 2025 Honor A Deceased Veteran – Chester J. Carknard

Chester J. Carknard
1924 – 1944

FAMILY HISTORY:
Chester J. Carknard was born on May 28, 1924 in Valley Falls, New York. He was the son of Chester and Eva (Carr) Carknard, and brother to Rita, Stephen, Vincent, Leroy, Shirley, Mari and Harold

EDUCATION:
Chester (Chet) grew up in the Village of Valley Falls, and received his education through the Valley Falls School

PERSONAL:
Chet had two years of high school, and he was also a truck driver for the Mohawk Paper Mill in Cohoes.  He was also believed to be a part-time worker at Janet Stover Weber’s dad’s garage in the village of Valley Falls.  Chet enlisted in the Army Air Corps in October of 1942.  His enlistment record state he was a semi-skilled technician and repairman

HISTORY:
After about a year of training, Chester (Chet) was sent overseas in November, 1943.  He was in the 8^th Air Force, the 100^th Bomb Group, the 351^st Bomb Squadron.  The 8^th is known as “The Mighty 8^th”, the 100^th as “the Bloody Hundredth”.  The 351^st flew B-17 bombers, “Flying Fortresses”.  It was based at Thorpe Abbotts, in Norfolk, England, about 100 miles Northeast of London

Beginning in March 1944, Chet flew about ten missions.  The crew was led by 2^nd Lieutenant Lucius Lacy, so the plane was named the “Luscious Lucy”.  Chet began to fly just after “The Big Week” in February, where the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Corps cooperated in intensive bombing of German aircraft factories

Chet was a Technical Sergeant.  He had a very demanding position, as he had two jobs: to take care of any operational problems while the plane was in the air, and to be the top turret gunner while the plane was in a bombing run, which placed his post in the middle of the plane, facing backwards in a small turret in the top of the plane.  They flew daylight missions over Germany

Following these raids, the 351^st, including Chester, were awarded the Air Medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters.  The Air Medal was awarded for “meritorious service”, the clusters represented additional acts meriting the Air Medal.  Chester did not want anyone to know about his medals

Sadly, on April 11, 1944, Chester J. Carknard, 19 years of age, of Valley Falls was killed in action during the European Theater of War and was laid to rest at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England