Home | About | Pre WWI | WWI | WWII | Korea | Vietnam | Post Vietnam | Non Wartime | Wounded | Decorated | Contact Us | Search

Andy Curlee

 

Date and Place of Birth: November 27, 1915 Wetumpka, AL
Date and Place of Death:    April 6, 1943 Tunisia, North Africa
Baseball Experience: College
Position: Unknown
Rank: First Lieutenant
Military Unit: 432nd Bomb Squadron, 17th Bomb Group USAAF
Area Served: Mediterranean Theater of Operations

Lt. Andrew D. Curlee, Jr., Wetumpka, an Auburn Alumnus, was killed while leading a squadron of planes in North Africa on April 6, according to a telegram just received by his father, A.D. Curlee of Wetumpka.
Auburn Plainsman April 30, 1943

Andrew D. "Andy" Curlee, Jr., was born in Wetumpka, Alabama in 1916. Curlee entered Auburn University in 1934 as a freshman in Agricultural Economics. He played baseball and captained the basketball team at Auburn. Following graduation he served as assistant county agent of Lee County.

Curlee entered military service on November 5, 1941 and received his cadet training at Gunter Field, Montgomery, Alabama. He earned his pilot's wings at Turner Field, Georgia, and was sent to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, before being sent to North Africa to serve with the 432nd Bomb Squadron, 17th Bomb Group.

Based at Telergma, Algeria, the 17th Bomb Group flew its first combat mission against the Germans at Gabes Airfield in southern Tunisia on 30 December. First Lieutenant Curlee, piloting a Martin B-26 Marauder, was a flight leader and led his squadron on numerous missions against enemy targets in North Africa.

On April 6, 1943, First Lieutenant Andrew Curlee was killed while leading his squadron in Tunisia. He is buried at the North African American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia. He also has a marker at the Ebenezer Bible Church Cemetery in Deatsville, Alabama, alongside his father who passed away in November 1946.

Thanks to John Varner, Library Assistant, Special Collections/Archives at Auburn University for help with this biography.

Date Added July 28, 2012 Updated July 8, 2013

Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice is associated with Baseball Almanac

Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice is proud to be sponsored by

Big League Chew