Clarence Leonard Tinker Jr. O-373878 Major Headquarters, 14th Fighter Group United States Army Air Forces January 13, 1915 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Single Madeline (Doyle) Tinker (Mother) May 18, 1943 28 North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial (Tablets of the Missing) Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia Clarence Leonard (Bud/Buddy) Tinker Jr. was the eldest son of Major General Clarence Leonard Tinker, (1887–1942) and Madeline (Doyle) Tinker (b. January 4, 1896, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia). He was the brother of Madeline (Tinker) Gorman (1917-1997), and Gerald Edward (Tim) Tinker (1927–2003). He was born at home in the Hawaiian Territory at the Schofield Barracks army post on January 13th, 1916. During his youth the family moved from one military assignment to the next. The family lived in several places in California, in Kansas for two years, in London, Washington, D.C. twice, and Texas. He took his military entrance exam in 1937 when the family lived in the Washington area while his father was the Chief of Aviation Division, National Guard Bureau. He had attended Marin Jr. College in California and George Washington University in the nation's capital. He entered the Army's flight training program at Randolph Field, Texas and received his wings and diploma from his father, the graduation speaker, in San Antonia, Texas, on February 1st, 1939. Major Tinker's last assignment was with the 14th Fighter Group stationed in North Africa. He joined the group at Mohammedia, near Casablanca, in March 1943, as an Operations Officer. Two months later he led a flight of P-38's out of Tunisia towards Italy's Pantelleria Island when a superior force of German fighters was encountered. The American aviators dove into a cloud bank for cover and intended to wait the Germans out. However, Major Tinker's zeal soon outweighed his patience and he radioed the others that he "was going out". The aircraft vanished over the Mediterranean Sea and no trace of him was found.

Sources: American Battle Monuments Commission findagrave