Aces of Elmore County - Wetumpka, Alabama - Eagle Scout Project Sites on Waymarking.com

This is a memorial to the Elmore County, Alabama, World War II aces known to John Stuart Tilley, the Eagle Scout who created the monument. The two aces honored are 1st Lt. Hoyt Arnold "Curly" Eason and 1st Lt. Henry Smith "Hank" Rudolph.

The following article from The Alabama Veteran, Fall 2006 (http://www.va.state.al.us/Newsletters/ADVA%20Newsletter%20Fall%202006.pdf) gives a complete account.

Monument Honors Area WWII Aces

ELMORE -- They were the greatest warriors in the "greatest generation," a pair of aces from rural Alabama who created aviation history.

Hoyt Eason and Henry Rudolph were recently honored for a feat few men can claim: The World War II Army Air Corps fighter pilots shot down five or more enemy aircraft.

John Stuart Tilley, a Wetumpka High School junior, believes the pilots should be remembered for their gallantry and sacrifice, especially at a time when WWII veterans are dying at the rate of more than 1,000 a day.

Henry Rudolph, a Wetumpka native, traveled back to Elmore County from Atlanta to witness the unveiling of a monument in his home town honoring his valor under fire. Mr. Rudolph flew 98 missions against the Luftwaffe and downed five aircraft in the skies over Germany.

"The 354th Fighter Group was an aggressive squadron," Rudolph said before the unveiling. "Going up against another pilot never frightened me. I knew I had them. It was the anti-aircraft fire that scared me."

Tilley's father, Lt. Col. Ken Tilley, is an historian at Maxwell Air Force Base. As he researched WWII air battles, he discussed them with his son, who expressed an interest in native Alabamians who earned the ace title.

"There were just 20 WWII aces from Alabama," Ken Tilley told the audience assembled for the event that "only four are living today and three of those are Navy pilots”. Mr. Rudolph is the only living Army Air Corps pilot in Alabama.

Name of Eagle Scout: John Stuart Tilley Troop Number: Troop 51 Project Completion Date: Not listed Troop Location: Not listed

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