Claud Charles Holsten

Claud Charles Holsten was born on January 31, 1909 in Alma, Missouri, and relocated with his family to Fairfield, Washington while he was a small child. He attended Fairfield High School before transferring to North Central High School in Spokane in 1927. Holsten excelled in sports, playing football, basketball, baseball, and track during his secondary career. The North Central basketball team was coached by legendary basketball coach Jack Friel during Holsten's senior year. Both Holsten and Friel moved to Washington State College (WSC) in 1928. Holsten attended WSC from 1928 to 1932, earning 93 credits toward a degree before dropping out. He served three and a half years in the R.O.T.C., reaching the rank of Captain. He was a standout baseball and basketball star during his college career, and he also played on WSC's 1928 football team. After leaving WSC, Holsten played in the Inland Empire baseball league and was picked up by fellow Fallen Coug Archie Buckley, the manager of the Silver Loaf Baker team in the Eastern Washington League. He married Mabel Laura Cain on March 12, 1931, and they welcomed their only child, daughter Gail Claudeen, on January 8, 1937. While working at Vermont Loan and Trust Company, Holsten began taking flying lessons and in August 1942, applied for a commission to be a pilot in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He accepted an appointment on October 14, 1942, as a Lieutenant, and reported to Naval Air Station (NAS), Corpus Christi, Texas on October 19, 1942 for training as a flight instructor. Holsten received an assignment to ACORN 47 on December 14, 1944, for duty involving flying and establishing a forward base outside the continental United States. ACORN 47 was the advanced party to build an airbase on the island of Palawan in the southwest province of the Philippines. They arrived in Palawan roughly around March 1945. Holsten arrived on Palawan after American troops liberated the island. He spent much of his time flying officers around the Philippines to obtain updated classified code lists and photo supplies. He remained there even after Japan surrendered and the war in the Pacific officially ended. On September 10, 1945, Holsten departed in a TBM-1C Avenger on a routine flight from Palawan airstrip to Dumaguete, Negros, Philippines. Weather looked good, and the flight time estimate was two hours. Three other men were on board: Henry Ansell Newton, Aviation Machinist Mate, 2nd Class; William Edward Springer, Seaman, First Class; and Mitchell Mansfield Thrower, Aviation Machinist Mate, First Class. The plane and its occupants were never seen or heard from again. Despite an extensive search, neither the aircraft nor crew was ever found.