Individual Details
Capt. Luther Delano "Del" PRATER
(9 Oct 1921 - 1 Apr 2017)
Events
| Birth | 9 Oct 1921 | Bonanza, Floyd Co., KY |  | ||
| Census | 1930 | Floyd Co., KY | | ||
| Census | 1940 | Floyd Co., KY | | ||
| Military | 1942 - 1945 | Capt., U.S. Navy - WWII | | ||
| Degree | 1942 | BA in Political Science - University of Kentucky, Lexington, Fayette Co., KY | | ||
| Living | 1976 | Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA | | ||
| Living | 2002 | CA | | ||
| Death | 1 Apr 2017 | Pasadena, Los Angeles Co., CA | |||
| Obituary | 13 Jun 2017 | Star-News - Pasadena, Los Angeles Co., CA | |||
| Marriage | Hope EDWARDS | ||||
| Burial | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA |  |
Families
| Spouse | Hope EDWARDS (1921 - 1967) |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Father | Newton "Newt" PRATER (1896 - 1976) |
| Mother | Sarah 'Essie' HOLBOOK (1904 - 1976) |
| Sibling | Hershel PRATER (1923 - 2006) |
| Sibling | Orville PRATER of Middlepoint, OH (1929 - 2002) |
| Sibling | Don PRATER of GA (1934 - ) |
Notes
Birth
From: obituary; KY Birth Record 1911-1999 (Ancestry.com)..Census
Age 8Census
Age 18, living with parents.Military
He flew the F6F "Hellcat" fighter plane as part of VF-19, known as "Satan's Kittens," aboard the aircraft carrier Lexington in the Pacific theater during World War II. By the end of the war, he had earned the Silver Star, Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, and three Air Medals. He also became one of the rare pilots in American history to achieve "Fighter Ace" status, credited with downing 8.5 enemy aircraft.Degree
From yearbook.Living
From father's obituary.Living
from brother Orville's obituaryEndnotes
1. From: Find-A-Grave Online, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=179053537.