From Major Robert Joseph Low, 1945

File — Box: 06, Folder: 6

Identifier: MSA 394, Series 3, File 5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Major Robert Joseph Low is the man who identified Elmer’s body after he was shot down. In his letter, he reassures the family that it was Elmer and that he was the one who identified him, per Lieutenant Schalliol’s request. He ran into Schalliol as he was changing ports and Schalliol shared that his family would like his assurance. Also in his letters, he provides a decriptive explain about location, who was with him, and other details at the time of his death. He also shared that “they” (Schalliol, Low, and others) were forbidden to communicate with them for a period of 48 days. He tells them that they miss him very much and ends the letter with an epitaph they say; “loved pilot, officer, and real gentleman”. This folder contains one letter dated August 31, 1945 with the above details.

Dates

Creation: 1945

Creator

From the Collection: Kern, Elmer F., Jr. (Elmer Ferdinand), 1923-1945 (Person)

Access Information

The collection is open for research.

Biographical

Found in his obituary, Colonel Robert Joseph Low served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as an aviation officer in the European and Pacific theaters. He survived and also served in the Korean War. After the war, he became a helicopter pilot and taught air tactics at the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He retired in 1963 as chief of the office of aviation affairs at the Pentagon and died December 4, 2001.