HONOLULU, HI (WSIL) -- A Carbondale U.S. Navy sailor will be buried nearly 80 years after he was shot down during a battle in Taiwan.
Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs released information about a Navy sailor who's remains were recently identified after shot down in 1944.
Commander Frederick Rutherford Schrader was shot down in 1944 in Taiwan. 79 years later, he will be buried in Hawaii after his remains were positively identified last year.
Commander Frederick Schrader was born in Carbondale on March 12, 1923. He later moved to Lawrenceville, Illinois where he grew up.Â
He enlisted in the 23rd Illinois District on June 15, 1931. He was promoted to Commander on March, 1, 1944 and a Naval Aviator who fought in the Battle of Formosa in October later that year.
CDR Schrader was commander of the Carrier Air Group 11 on the USS Hornet. He was one of 17 aircraft carriers in the Battle of Formosa, also now known as Taiwan. This took place between October 12 - 15 in 1944.
He was killed in action on October, 13, 1944 when flying a F6F-5 Hellcat fighter. He was shot down during an attack on Toko Seaplane Base on Formose.
His wingman never saw a parachute or any evidence of Schrader exiting the aircraft before it crashed. There was no attempt to recover his body since the crash happened in enemy territory.Â
From the Hornet's War Diary...“Strikes continue on the morning of the 13th against substantially the same objectives on Formosa. The same airfields were hit again and more planes destroyed. The destruction of the facilities at Heito and Reigaryo was continued. ... the day was marred by the loss of the Air Group Commander Frederick Schrader by AA fire. He was shot down while leading a strafing attack, and his loss was a serious one since his leadership and work with the Air Group had been outstanding.�
Schrader was later posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart Medal for his actions that day.
CDR Schrader's body was recovered by Imperial Japanese forces in the area. They were later returned to local headquarters and inspected by an intelligence officer.
On September 27, remains were positively identified as CDR Frederick Rutherford Schrader.
Frederick will be buried in the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 13, 2023, with full military honors, with members of his family in attendance.
