Hargesheimer corresponded with a

missionary to learn how the tribe that kept Lincoln,

him safe had fared and in 1960 returned to the
island. He was told that they needed a school. Nebraska
He came home and raised $15,000 over three
years, "most of it $5 and $10 gifts," and then
Allegiance
returned with son Richard in 1963 to contract
for the construction of the school.[2] The
United
simple four-room schoolhouse became
known as the Airmen's Memorial School * [1]
(http://airmensmemorialfoundation.org/Airme
States
ns_Memorial_Foundation_U.S./AMFUS_Welco
me.html) . Hargesheimer returned many Service/ United
times for the next 40 years, building a library
as well as infrastructure for the village of Ea branch States
Ea, now known as Nantabu. From 1970 to
1974 he and his wife, Dorothee, lived there.[2] Army Air
He was known by the locals as Mastah
Preddi, a corruption of Master Freddie. In Corps
2000, he was proclaimed "Suara Auru," or
"Chief Warrior" in the native language.
Hargesheimer returned in 2006 for his last
Years of 1941–
visit. During the trip, he visited the site where
the wreckage of his old P-38 had been service 1945
recently found. Hargesheimer also attended
the opening of a new library at the Noau Rank Major
school.

Unit 8th Photo

Reconnaissanc
Squadron
 Battles/wars World
Contact with
War II
his attacker
Awards Purple Hea
In 1999, aided by amateur Japanese Silver Star
historians of World War II, he contacted the
wife of the man who had shot him down. He Distinguish
had always wondered why the pilot had never
taken the time to finish him off when he was Flying Cros
parachuting to the ground. By then the man,
Mitsugu Hyakutomi of Yamaguchi, Japan, was Air Medal
suffering from Alzheimer's disease. His wife
said that her husband had always said that he Asiatic-
could never shoot down such defenseless
parachuting fliers.[3] Pacific
Campaign
Death Medal

He died in Lincoln, Nebraska, on December 23,

2010.[2]
Bibliography

Hargesheimer, Fred. The School That Fell

From The Sky ISBN 978-1-58909-116-0

References

1. Nelson, Ed. "Fred Hargesheimer and

ERA/Univac Story" (https://web.archive.org/
web/20101129210833/http://vipclubmn.or
g/Documents/Fred_Hargesheimer.pdf)
(PDF). 2007. Vipclubmn. Archived from the
original (http://vipclubmn.org/Documents/F
red_Hargesheimer.pdf) (PDF) on 29
November 2010. Retrieved 24 December
2010.
2. WWII Pilot who Forever Repaid Rescuers
Dies at 94, The Associated Press,
December 23, 2010 (http://www.ctpost.co
m/default/article/WWII-pilot-who-forever-re
paid-rescuers-dies-at-94-917792.php/)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/201
01226163440/http://www.ctpost.com/defa
ult/article/WWII-pilot-who-forever-repaid-re
scuers-dies-at-94-917792.php) December
26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
3. Hanley, Charles J. " 'Mastah Preddi' fell
from the sky, into hearts Islanders heal, hail
WW2 pilot; man changes lives, returns to
build school" (http://www.nbcnews.com/id/
23538741) . Mar 8 2008. NBC News via AP.
Retrieved 24 December 2010.
External links

Pacific Wrecks (http://www.pacificwreck

s.com/aircraft/p-38/42-13073.html)
Airmen's Memorial Foundation (http://air
mensmemorialfoundation.org/Airmens_
Memorial_Foundation_U.S./AMFUS_Wel
come.html)

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"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
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