Korean War
| Service # | AF13078978 |
|---|---|
| Unit | 371 BOMB SQ 307 BOMB WING |
| Rank | Staff Sergeant U.S. Air Force |
| Date of Death | September 8 1950 |
| Status | Missing In Action |
| Memorialized |
Courts of the Missing
Court
8
Honolulu Memorial |
Air Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross
Korean Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Purple Heart
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
For his leadership and valor, Staff Sergeant Kates was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Notes
Staff Sergeant Kates was a crew member of a B-29A Superfortress Bomber with the 371st Bomber Squadron, 307th Bomber Wing based at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. On September 8, 1950, while returning from a bombing mission over Korea, his aircraft crashed into the East China Sea five miles north of Okinawa, killing eight crew members. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.