JULIUS CLEVELAND FLUHR JR

Branch of Service: Airforce

Rank: Captain

Honors Earned: Distinguished Service Cross

Service years: 1943-1953

Honors earned: Purple Heart, Air Medal

Glen Rock: Lived in Glen Rock with his wife and children

​

     Julius Cleveland Fluhr Jr. was born in Hillsdale, New Jersey on November 2, 1919. The FLuhr family moved to Leonia in Bergen County. After his high school graduation and wedding, Fluhr moved his young family to Glen Rock, New Jersey. On November 28, 1942, he registered in New York City, in the Enlisted Reserve Corps. Fluhr's active duty began on January 30, 1943. Serving in the United States Air Force, Fluhr earned the rank of captain and fought in both World War II and the Korean Conflict.  Julius Fluhr was one of 9 children.  They were a family that was dedicated to the United States and aviation; 5 sons in the family were aviators in the service of the US armed forces. Julius C. Fluhr was part of the 68th Fighter-Interceptor/All Weather Squadron, whose base was in Itazuke AB in Japan during the post-war occupation and the Korean Conflict. Fluhr flew the F-82G Twin Mustang plane, vehicle ID is 46-394. This squadron, nicknamed the “Lightning Lancersy,” first saw combat in Korea in 1950, and scored their first aerial kill in the Korean War on June 27, 1950. This aerial kill occurred two months before Chinese antiaircraft gunners began attacking United Nations planes from across the Yalu River, on August 22, 1950.

           Julius Cleveland Fluhr’s loss was on an armed reconnaissance mission on a road between Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, and he did not return back to his base at Itazuke AB, Japan. When he did not return from that mission on March 14, 1951, he was declared "Missing in Action."
            Julius C. Fluhr Jr. was declared dead on December 31, 1953, by the US Air Force. He was highly decorated, earning a plethora of awards and medals for his service, including the American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct, the Korean Service Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the United Nations Service, the World War II Victory Medal, the Air Medal, the Sharp Shooter Badge with Pistol Bar, and the National Defense Service Medal. Regarding the Air Medal, Fluhr is credited for being daring enough to fly his plane through hostile environments and do his duty to help accomplish the successful United Nations mission.  Around the time of Fluhr’s disappearance, the Air Force was battling for the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Fluhr was missing in action as he was part of this battle, patrolling the road connecting the North Korean and South Korean capitals. This mission helped the United Nations liberate Seoul from the communist forces' occupation, so his duty on this mission greatly contributed to the Korean War's outcome.

​

Born: 1919, Hillsdale, New Jersey

Died: 1953, Seoul, Korea