Eighteen United States Army Air Force men were killed near Gingercake Mountain at Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, during World War II when their twin-engine Douglas C-47 Skytrain military transport, number 41-18562, crashed in dense fog on May 15, 1943. They were F/O W. B. McBroom of Texas, 1st Lt. Morton M. Katz of Ohio, 2nd Lt. James E.R. Lauderdale of New Mexico, 2nd Lt. Donald E. Lewin of California, 2nd Lt. Robert C. Mack of Ohio, 2nd Lt. Thomas B. Oksendahl of North Dakota, 2nd Lt. Joseph E. Plaza of Nevada, 2nd Lt. James H. Valentine of Ohio, F/O James C. Armstrong Jr. of Indiana, F/O Orville M. Buchheit of Indiana, T/Sgt. Edward T. Russell of Ohio, T/Sgt. Gerald J. Sutherland of Minnesota, S/Sgt. William B. Goddard of Ohio, S/Sgt. Lester J. Kuchar of Illinois, S/Sgt. Francis P. McMahon of Ohio, S/Sgt. Guy A. Partridge Jr. of Indiana, Sgt. Melvin F. Mullinax of Illinois, and Pvt. William T. Templeman of Illinois.