John flew F-4U Corsairs. During the Battle for Okinawa, he served with the Marine 2nd Air Wing, and flew close air support for the Marines on the ground, and was credited with three enemy planes.
After the war, he remained in the service, and transition to jet aircraft. He was shipped overseas in November, 1949 to the Korean Theater of Operations. He reached the rank of Captain.
In December, while ferrying personnel to Korea, his aircraft developed damage. He held the plane steady for the passengers to parachute to safety, as the aircraft headed down towards a mountain. Captain Strickland perished on December 7th 1950.
The family received the fateful telegram on Friday, December 8th. A 32 man Marine Corps escort from the Philadelphia Naval Base rendered full military honors to Captain John Strickand Jr. during his burial at Oakland’s Cemetery in West Chester, on March 17th 1951.
John’s youngest sister Elizabeth (Strickand) Ring spoke at the Hall of Heroes Dedication representing our Korean War heroes.
Credits
Research by Don Wambold, WCMSC