The Valley Falls Vindicator Jefferson County Wednesday July 8, 1942 Dies In Plane Crash. Staff Sgt. Russell A. CARTER of Meriden, a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps lost his life last Thursday when an army plane crashed near Welch, West Virginia. He was one of seventeen victims. Sgt. Carter enlisted in the Army Air Corps about a year ago and graduated from Kelley Field, Tex., on May 20, 1942, following which he visited his parents at Meriden. Sgt. Carter was born May 2, 1919 at Meriden and graduated from the Meriden high school in 1937. He was well known throughout the county for his participation in high school athletics, his red hair and fine sportsmanship being his identifying characteristics. He was a member of the Meriden Methodist church. After enlisting in the Army Air Corps, he took his basic training at Muskogee, Okla., before being transferred to Kelley Field. He was one of the first seventeen in his class to be transferred recently to the station at Battle Creek, Michigan. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Carter of Meriden, and besides his parents he is survived by two brothers, Staff Sgt. Robert Carter of Ft. Riley, Harvey Carter of Meriden; and three sisters, Mrs. Lloyd FRICKEY of Topeka whose husband is a staff sergeant at Fort Ord, Calif., Mrs. J.H. WHALEY of Kansas City and Mrs. E.L. MAYS of Topeka.