Budd Andrews

Death Details/Burial/Memorial Services: His pregnant wife was waiting in their apartment for him to fly his last three hours of training before going on leave to Pennsylvania. Once his leave was over, he would be shipping out to Okinawa.

He died when his plane caught fire while flying over Charlotte on a routine training mission. He feared that his plane would crash into homes, so he stayed aboard and refused the order to bail out, trying to crash the plane on a golf course. He cleared the last house in the Morningside neighborhood and crashed 20 feet short of a fairway.

The first bronze marker on a stone was put up in a ball park off McClintock Rd. that reads: Budd Andrews Athletic Field. In memory of Lt. Budd Harris Andrews. Killed in action April 2, 1945. The second memorial marker was put in place for the anniversary of his death in April 2003 with more explanation about his death. He was buried in York, PA. For more information, please read Charlotte's Yankee Flyer Hero, Lt. Budd H. Andrews.

Age at Death: 24