Maurice Esters - U.S. Army Air Force
Maurice V. Esters, a late Webster City man, enlisted in the Army Air Force during World War II and became one of the Tuskegee Airmen, America's first black fighter pilots.
He was one of 12 Iowans to be part of this legendary group, flying combat missions around the Mediterranean Sea.
In June 1944, the engine of his P-47 Thunderbolt failed in flight, and after bailing out, he floated in a raft in the Adriatic Sea before disappearing.
Esters was listed as missing in action and later declared dead.
He was one of 12 Iowans to be part of that legendary group.
Author's summary: Maurice Esters served as a Tuskegee Airman.