Evansville Wartime Museum advocate, World War II pilot Allen Sanderson, 99, dies

John T. Martin, Evansville Courier & Press
·3 min read
Allen Sanderson, shown here in a 2020 photo answering questions about flying a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane in World War II, died this week. He was 99.
Allen Sanderson, shown here in a 2020 photo answering questions about flying a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane in World War II, died this week. He was 99.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Allen Sanderson, who flew 118 missions in an Evansville-made P-47 Thunderbolt during World War II and later became a staunch supporter of the Evansville Wartime Museum, has died. He was 99.

The native of Roanoke, Virginia, moved to Evansville in the late 1950s and had a 35-year career with the company formerly known as American General Finance. He was involved with Hadi Shrine for 50 years, as well as several other organizations.

Establishing the local war museum, though, was Sanderson's great passion. Given his life story, it's easy to understand why.

Evansville World War II veteran Allen Sanderson looks out the window of a B-17 on June 3, 2019. He flew 118 combat missions during the war, including two on D-Day.
Evansville World War II veteran Allen Sanderson looks out the window of a B-17 on June 3, 2019. He flew 118 combat missions during the war, including two on D-Day.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps at age 19, during the height of the war. A member of the 64th Fighter Squadron (Black Scorpions) stationed at Alto Air Base in Corsica, Sanderson flew combat missions in North Africa and Europe, as well as two missions in Normandy, France, on D-Day.

He earned the rank of major and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals for his World War II service. Honorably discharged in 1947, he served in the Army Reserves until 1950.

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Sanderson was an active supporter of the Evansville Wartime Museum, which focuses on the region's contributions to the war effort, and he spoke often to school groups and others about his service.

One of his goals was to get a locally made P-47 Thunderbolt back to the city, so future generations could see an airplane manufactured here at Republic Aviation.

WWll veteran and P-47 pilot Allen Sanderson prepares to board the Commemorative Air Force Texas Raiders B-17 before taking off for the D-Day Ceremony at the riverfront in Evansville Thursday, June 6, 2019.
WWll veteran and P-47 pilot Allen Sanderson prepares to board the Commemorative Air Force Texas Raiders B-17 before taking off for the D-Day Ceremony at the riverfront in Evansville Thursday, June 6, 2019.

The airplane called Tarheel Hal landed in Evansville in October 2020 and is on display at the museum, 7503 Petersburg Road. Sanderson looked on with pride.

"The P-47 was absolutely a wonder," Sanderson said. "It was the best fighter-bomber in the world in its time. Any enemy that moved, whether it was on the ground or in the air, the P-47 could hit it."

Sanderson said he had a few close calls in the seat of a Thunderbolt, including once when his wing got shot and the controls were stuck. Out of the action, and without the ability to turn right or even fly a straight path, he had to make a series of 360-degree loops in order to get safely to the ground.

WWll veteran and P-47 pilot Allen Sanderson looks over the Commemorative Air Force Texas Raiders B-17 before taking a flight in the historic war bird Monday, June 3, 2019.
WWll veteran and P-47 pilot Allen Sanderson looks over the Commemorative Air Force Texas Raiders B-17 before taking a flight in the historic war bird Monday, June 3, 2019.

"They were incredibly rugged airplanes; they could take a bunch of damage and still get you back home," he said. "The engine was air-cooled, which meant if you took a bad hit you didn't have to worry about leaking the coolant liquid and overheating. I saw some of these planes land with four or five cylinders totally gone."

Service to be livestreamed

Friends of Sanderson may visit from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Evansville Wartime Museum, and a memorial service with military rites will follow. The service will be streamed online at boonefuneralhome.net, and can be viewed there by clicking on Sanderson's obituary and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Pilot Charles Hainline, far right, talks to former P-47 pilot and Evansville resident Allen Sanderson as people get a closer view of the plane at Tri-State Aero in Evansville, Ind., Saturday afternoon, Oct. 17, 2020. The Evansville P-47 Foundation bought the plane from a museum in Houston for $3.5 million. It will be displayed at the Evansville Wartime Museum, located near Evansville Regional Airport.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to P-47 Hoosier Spirit c/o Evansville P-47 Foundation, 4825 Spring St., Evansville, IN 47711. This helps fund the remaining cost of bringing the Tarheel Hal to the city. Contributions may also be made to Evansville Wartime Museum, 7503 Petersburg Road, Evansville IN 47725.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: World War II veteran, Evansville Wartime Museum supporter dies