Captain Thor Elmer Hamrin Jr., An Airman's Story
Captain Thor Elmer Hamrin Jr., An Airman's Story
Thor Elmer Hamrin Jr. was born on May 3, 1920, in California. As a young man, he dreamed of becoming an actor while attending South Pasadena High School, but the gathering storm of world events would soon redirect his path.
Following his graduation in 1938, and as global conflict intensified, Hamrin enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces on November 6, 1941—just weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor would plunge the United States fully into World War II.
Captain Hamrin was assigned to the 431st Bombardment Squadron of the 11th Bombardment Group, a legendary unit known as the “Grey Geese.” Flying B-24 Liberator heavy bombers, the group carried out long-range missions across the Pacific Theater, striking Japanese positions at great personal risk.
During his service, Captain Hamrin commanded a B-24J aircraft, serial number 42-73018. Some records identify the aircraft by the nickname Captain and the Kid, while other sources list him as captain of a plane known as JITA (“Jab in the Ass”). As with many wartime aircraft, names and assignments could shift, and surviving documentation remains incomplete.
On July 28, 1944, Captain Thor Elmer Hamrin Jr. and his crew were on a combat mission when their aircraft was last seen going down in flames approximately twelve miles off the coast near Truk in the western Pacific. No remains were recovered.
Captain Hamrin is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, honoring those airmen who were lost in combat and never recovered. His story reflects the interrupted dreams of a generation who traded future ambitions for service in a war that reshaped the world.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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