9th Ward Veteran Interviews - Delor Maxfield

Spotlight on Brother Delor Maxfield

Brother Delor Maxfield served as a Marine from 1952 through 1954 during the Korean War. He was drafted and his rank was a Sergeant. Brother Maxfield was an airplane mechanic mainly working on C-199 Flying Boxcar’s that got their name from their impressive hauling ability and the shape of the fuselage. He also got to fly around with the crew, helping to transport needed supplies and troops around in South Korea.

Many times during his service Brother Maxfield was protected. One such incident was when the defrosters on the wing weren’t working and ice was building up on the wings. When the wings have ice on them they don’t work and if the wings don’t work, neither does the airplane! Thankfully, the defrosters engaged sending off the ice in thunderous pops. Another time was when Brother Maxfield’s airplane was about to land and the nose wheel wouldn’t go down. He and a crew member had to climb down into the airplane and manually lower the landing gear, securing it with a pin, allowing them to land safely.

Brother Maxfield was able to see many things and had many fun times with his friends. Brother Maxfield is a very patriotic man and is grateful for the time he was able to serve his country. He feels that we must fight to keep our freedom.