1st Lt. Robert L. McIntosh

Born Robert Leeson McIntosh on June 8, 1922, he was the son of Maj. General and Mrs. Jesse E. McIntosh (Vivian E. Leeson), both deceased, of Tipton.  His date of death was recently confirmed as May 12, 1944 in Santa Cristina, Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

The pilot of a P-38 Lightning fighter plane, then 2^nd Lt. Robert “Bob” L. McIntosh, was reported missing during WWII while returning with his squadron from a mission to Piacenza, Italy on May 12, 1944.  He was assigned to the U.S. Army 15^th Air Force, 1^st Fighter Group, 27^th Fighter Squadron stationed at Foggia in southern Italy.  No wreckage was found by search parties in the area where he was reported missing, and on November 7, 1945, he was declared dead by the War Department.

With the aid of Archeologi dell’Aria (Archaeologists of the Air), a group of volunteers in Italy that excavates remains of lost aircraft from WWII, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) archeologists, the remains of Lt. McIntosh were found, and identified between September 2013 and August 2015.

Lt. McIntosh was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on March 5, 1944 and later the Air Medal with Six Oak Leaf Clusters.   He was promoted to 1^st Lieutenant on June 7, 1944.

Lt. McIntosh graduated from Tipton High School in 1940 and attended Indiana University until he was inducted August 4, 1942.  He was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

He is survived by all his siblings, Rosanelle Pentecost (John, dec’d.) of Jacksonville, Florida, Patricia Talley (James, dec’d.) of Carmel and Jeannine Baker (James) of Carmel; nephews and nieces Robert Pentecost (Mary), of Jacksonville, Florida, Melissa P. Boone of Jacksonville, Florida, Lisa B. Liles (Charles) of Indianapolis and Mark Baker of San Luis Obispo, California; and three great nephews Kevin Boone of Delray Beach, Florida, Charles Liles, Jr. of Boston, Massachusetts and David Liles of Indianapolis.

Visitation with family will be from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 13, at the Tipton High School auditorium followed by the service at 2:00 p.m.  Burial with full military honors will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Tipton, where he will be laid to rest next to his parents.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Archeologi dell’Aria – Ferrara (Italy) at http://paypal.me/archeologidellaria or to the National WWII Museum, 945 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130 or through its website at www.nationalww2museum.org. 

Please direct donation questions to Young-Nichols Funeral Home, Tipton, 765-675-4780 who has been entrusted with Bob's services.