Ralph DuWayne Axelsen
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Air Force
Ralph DuWayne Axelsen
Mr. Axelsen served in World War II. He entered the Army Air Force in February 1943. He received a Second Lieutenant commission and served at various B-17 bases (Fort Sheridan, Illinois; St Petersburg, Florida; Lowry Field, Colorado; Boca Raton, Florida; Seymor Johnson Field, North Carolina).
He was sent to Yale University as part of the Army Air Forces Technical Training Command and was promoted to First Lieutenant. He then served at Lincoln AFB, Nebraska; Dyersburg, Tennessee; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
In September 1945, he went to Camp Stoneman, California for deployment to the Philippines and on to Japan with the Eighth Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group, supervising maintenance of aircraft armament, bombsights, rockets & autopilots. As part of the occupation of Japan, he was stationed at Atsugi, Chitose, Irumagawa and Murayama. He returned stateside on June 28, 1946, and was separated from active duty on August 1, 1946, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Mr. Axelsen received the Distinguished Unit Badge with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Army of Occupation Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Theater Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal.
Mr. Axelsen remained in the Air Force Reserve, taking various extension courses in armament systems, bombsight maintenance, etc. He retired in 1964 with the rank of Captain.
Mr. Axelsen was born on September 22, 1924, in the small Danish community of Withee, Wisconsin, to Henry & Othelia Axelsen. He graduated from Central High School in Superior, Wisconsin, in 1942 and attended Superior Vocational Trade School prior to enlisting.
