Maurice Vincent Esters (1921 - 1944)

Born 12 Jun 1921 in Webster City, Hamilton, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Died 26 Jun 1944 at age 23 in Adriatic Sea, Italy

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WWII MIA Family Connections

Biography

Lt. Maurice Esters was Missing in Action during World War II.

Maurice Esters is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army Air Force 301st Fighter Squadron 1943-1944
Tuskegee Airman flying Ace

Maurice Esters was awarded the Purple Heart.

Maurice Esters is Notable.

Maurice was born in 1921^[1] to Chester Esters and Idena Hiett. His father was employed as a mechanic for a local garage ^[2]. Unfortunately, his father had some issues with the law, and was imprisoned when Maurice was a teenager. His mother divorced his father at that time and remarried. As a result, Maurice was placed in the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans's Home in Davenport, Iowa. ^[3]. While attending the school, he was an active participant in the drama club, and in 1938, he played the part of an electrician in a three-act comedy by James F. Stone entitled, "Billy's Goat". The production was given for the benefit of a local Boy Scout troop at the home.^[4]. He also participated in the boxing team. ^[5] Upon graduation, he attended Webster City Junior college, where he was an outstanding student in chemistry, while working as a bellhop at the Wilson hotel in Webster City.^[6]

In 1940, Maurice enrolled in Iowa State College. ^[7]. He had hoped to attend the Tuskegee Air Pilot program, and after joining the aircorps in August of 1942, he trained at Fort Riley, Kansas, then Selfridge Field, MI and finally, Tuskegee Institue. He completed his basic training in early April 1943. Six weeks later, Maurice was commissioned and received his pilot wings at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama.^[8].

He was stationed overseas in Italy in early 1944 with Ramitelli Airfield as his home base where he was assigned to the 301st Fighter Squadron, 322nd Fighter Group. He flew his first mission in February 1944 where his job would be to escort B-17 and B-24 bombers on air raids throughout Europe. On June 26, 1944, after recently being promoted to the rank of 1Lt., Maurice was piloting a P-47 Thunderbird fighter plane on a mission to Hungary. After successfully completing the raid, he was returning to the air base when he began to experience a problem with his plane. He gave out the MayDay call on several channels, then bailed out of his plane. A fellow pilot spotted him getting into his dinghy and releasing a green oilmaker into the water But the pilot had no radio contact at the time, and was running low on fuel and was forced to return to the airbase. His position was 15 miles north of the Isle of Vis which is about 30 miles from the coast of Yugoslavia. ^[9].

1 LT Maurice V. Esters continues to be listed as Missing in Action. His name is enscribed on the Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery. ^[10]. The date of death listed is his Finding of Death, one year and day after his actual Missing in Action declaration.

Please see the World War II Missing In Action Family Connections page for more information

Sources

1. ↑ Boone Township, Hamilton County, Iowa Standard Certificate of Birth filed 13 Jun 1921
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMJ8-CDS : accessed 6 July 2020), Maurice V Esters in household of Charles H Esters, Webster City, Hamilton, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 5, sheet 1A, line 14, family 3, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 657; FHL microfilm 2,340,392.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMBP-Z4S : 20 August 2019), Maurice Esters, Ward 5, Davenport, Davenport City Township, Scott, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 82-51, sheet 7B, line 55, family , Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1203.
4. ↑ The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, 15 Apr 1938, pg. 11.
5. ↑ The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, 2 Feb 1939, pg. 20
6. ↑ Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, 12 Apr 1943.
7. ↑ The Daily Times, 17 Sep 1940, pg. 9.
8. ↑ The Des Moines Register, 28 Jun 1943, pg. 10.
9. ↑ MACR 7062: S.R. & D. No 3323
10. ↑ https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/esters%3Dmaurice

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56363446/maurice-v-esters: accessed 24 December 2023), memorial page for 1Lt Maurice V Esters (12 Jun 1921–27 Jun 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56363446, citing Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, Florence, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Toscana, Italy; Maintained by 𝕋𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕪 ℕ𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕪 (contributor 47874331).
• https://www.132dwing.ang.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/2501276/remembering-iowas-tuskegee-airmen/