Clifford Bradford Russell, son of Harry L. Russell and Katy Marietta Hornbeck Russell, was born in Bozeman, Mont., on August 7, 1919, later moving to Fort Klamath with his parents, where he attended both grade and high school. Before enlisting in the air corps in 1940, he was employed by the Pelican Bay Lumber company.

Clifford served in the 510th Fighter Squadron, 405th Fighter Group, as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot on the P-47 #42-76471 'Billy Boy' during World War II. On August 14, 1944, 2Lt Russell took off at Advanced Landing Ground A-8 in Picauville, France, for an armed reconnaissance mission to Calais. On his return, his flight ran into a group of 20 German aircraft. At 4:45 PM, he was shot down by a fighter, crashing his airplane 3 km east of Nogent-le-Rotrou.

2Lt Russell is now buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, francecrashes39-45.net