Truell Larkin Sidebottom

Truell was born in Trousdale, Kansas and schooled in Lamar, Colorado. With the passing of his parents in the mid 1930's, Truell was taken care of by Charles Leonard-Lingle Moore and family for a short period of time. In 1936 he signed up for the Colorado Civilian Conservation Corps and was assigned to camp F-58-C, Mount Morrison Colorado, then in 1939 he joined the United States Marines.

He received the DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, BATTLE OF MIDWAY, JUNE 4 & 5, 1942. AIRCRAFT: SBD-2 DAUNTLESS DIVE BOMBER, VMSB-241 (SONS OF SATAN), MARINE AIR GROUP 22, 2ND MARINE AIR WING. Citation signed by Admiral C.W. Nimitz and by Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy. Lt. Robert Judy Bear (1918-1984) also received a Citation for his "extraordinary heroism as a Pilot" for the same mission. Very few Marine aviators survived the Dauntless missions.

March 21, 1943 he married Mae M. Li in New York City and she gave birth to one son, James Thomas Sidebottom, now Cerar, April 11, 1945.

It is believed that Truell transferred from Marine aviation to the newly formed US Air Force in 1947. By the summer of 1951-1958 he was working for HQ. Far East Network in Japan. He also had a ham radio call sign of JA2OO & KA2OO. The Japan assignment could have been a civilian position. His wife stayed in New York and the marriage was dissolved May 22, 1951 at Crettenden County, Arkansas. In 1959, while in Anchorage, Alaska,

it is believed he worked for the FAA. He also received a Private Pilot License Oct 5, 1962. It is very possible that he helped after the earthquake in Anchorage (March 1964) with flying. It is possible, in the mid 1960's, he worked for the Air Force Security Service and took an assignment in Turkey at one of our receiving stations. 

Not much else is known other than he became a diabetic by the mid 1960's. A few months before his death in Colorado (1991), he was in a nursing home in Silver City, New Mexico with his wife Eva. He also spent some time with his sister, Norma J. Conn (Sidebottom) in Arvada, Just prior to his death, he was admitted to Cambridge Nursing Center in Lakewood, Co. Following cremation he was Buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Section X, Site 1342. See Media for additional Photos. His 2nd wife, Eva died in New Mexico Dec. 11, 1993. She was also cremated. According to records, sometime during the mid 1980, they were both in Columbus, NM and had a post office box number.089221733. The 1940 US Census shows Truell Sidebottom was located in National City, Ca which is adjacent to San Diego Navel Air Station. Posted by James, updated 5/15/2018.