Lane County, Oregon

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Rodney C. Jensen (jen7004)

Father: Elmer Marius Jensen (jen6001)
Mother: Lyda Cecilia Nelson

b. December 14, 1922 in Oregon [Nashholm]

d. August 6, 1945 in World War II, buried in West Lawn Memorial Park, Eugene, Oregon.

Never married

No Issue

Information:

Rodney was raised by his Aunt Esther and Uncle Edwin (jen6002) who had no children of their own.

1941:
Rodney graduated from Eugene High School in Eugene, Oregon

June 1942:
Rodney entered the Navy after attending the University of Oregon for a year.

June 1943:
Rodney received his wings at Corpus Christi, Texas.

April 1944:
Rodney shipped overseas with the first carrier task force of the U.S. Pacific fleet and saw action in the Philippines, the China Sea, Iwo Jima, Formosa and Hong Kong.

January 9, 1945:
Rodney received the Distinguished Flying Cross for "heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight in operations against the enemy at northern Formosa."

August 6, 1945:
Rodney died during a training mission for the coming invasion of Japan off the coast of Virginia. His squadron (the only unit which actually flew that day) went up during thunderstorm weather. His was one of at least three planes lost during the mission. Ironically, August 6th was the day the Enola Gay dropped the bomb on Hiroshima effectively ending the war. [Thelma]

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