Aviation Cadet Richard Hugh Jarvis, 21, known as Hugh, was killed in an airplane crash while on training maneuvers from Minter Field in Bakerfield, California, on October 24, 1943. Second Lieutenant Lt. Otto H. Piepenbrink from Illinois also perished in the crash.

Cadet Jarvis was the son of James Ransom Jarvis, who was Salt Lake County Treasurer, and Margaret Bolton McKeller Jarvis. The father was from North Carolina and the mother was born in Salt Lake City. They lived in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy at the time of their son’s death.

He was born June 6, 1922, at Magna, Utah, was a graduate of East High School in Salt Lake and attended the University of Utah for three years before enlisting in the Army Air Forces September 30, 1942. He received training at Buckley Field in Denver; Cedar, City, Utah; Santa Ana, California; and graduated from flight training school in Tucson.

His brother, Howard Jarvis of Los Angeles, accompanied his body back to Utah for burial. Howard went on to become famous as the leader of the anti-tax Proposition 13 in California in the 1970s.

Cadet Jarvis was survived by his parents; three brothers, Howard Jarvis; Sergeant Keith Jarvis, serving with the Army in Sicily; and Robert W. Jarvis, serving in the Navy in the Pacific; and one sister, Mrs. Hazel Webb of Spokane, Washington. He is interred at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

The Jarvis family once lived in Magna, a copper mining town west of Salt Lake City. The following tribute to him appeared on the front page of the Magna Times after his death. It was part of a column titled “The Chatter Box,” probably written by the newspaper’s editor, Edith Ridge. She wrote:

We were saddened Monday to learn of the death of Aviation Cadet Richard Hugh Jarvis, better known to us as “Hughie,” killed in a plane crash in California.

We had known “Hughie” for many years, and watched him grow from a little youngster, that we fondly used to call “Baron Munchausen” because of his vivid imagination, rapid way of talking and expressive mannerisms, to a fine young man.

Hughie gave me one of the finest compliments I ever received when he used to proclaim over ten years ago that he “planned to marry me when he grew up.” I saw him several years ago in Salt Lake City, a fine, tall, upright youth, and found he hadn’t forgotten, when he laughingly said I had “stolen a march” on him and didn’t wait.

Our sincere sympathy is extended to the Jarvis family in their hour of bereavement. May they have the consolation that their son was a regarded young man, and commanded a liking from everyone.

There is an interesting connection between Mrs. Ridge and Howard Jarvis. Mr. Jarvis previously owned the newspaper, and Mrs. Ridge worked for him. She and her husband, Howard Ridge , bought the business from Jarvis. Edith Ridge was a highly regarded newspaperwoman and won several awards for her journalistic excellence.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (www.storiesbehindthestars.org .) This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen person's name and read his/her story.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112716220/richard-hugh-jarvis

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