The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the October 2026 story of the month has been selected to honor Brigadier General Asa North Duncan, Chief of Staff for the famed 8th Air Force. This year, the Story of the Month publication will honor and recognize the service memory of those lost by commemorating our Untold Stories of Service work with Richard Sherman, author of “Never Home: Remembering the Military Heroes Who Never Returned.” The following was researched, written, and presented to the Story of the Month publication by Richard Sherman.

Among the 5,127 names on the Tablet of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery in England, is Brigadier General Asa North Duncan. Cambridge American Cemetery is 1 of 4 American overseas WWI and WWII cemeteries with more names on the Tablet of the Missing than buried.

 The Tablet is dominated by those who perished during the Battle of the Atlantic and those lost while serving with the U.S. Army Air Forces. In fact, there are 3,524 names from the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Air Forces, including many from the legendary 8th Air Force. One of those was General Asa Duncan who was Chief of Staff of the 8th Army Air Force in England.

Duncan had spent most of his career in the Army Air Forces. However, his military career began as an enlisted infantrymen with the Alabama National Guard in 1914. In September 1916 he was commissioned an officer and then transferred to aviation service during World War I.

Upon completion of his training as an aerial observer in January 1918, he served with the 91st Aero Squadron and left for France in July 1918.  He participated briefly in WWI during the bloody Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

Returning home, Duncan married Ella Almeida Sadler in 1920 in their home state of Alabama, and they had one son, William, born in April 1922. By the time William was born, Duncan had already completed flight training, earning his wings in August 1921. 

Duncan was promoted to Brigadier General in February 1942 and became Chief of Staff for the famed 8th Air Force. He was onboard a B-17 Flying Fortress with 10 others when the plane suffered an engine fire and crashed in the Bay of Biscay. General Asa North Duncan died on November 17th, 1942.

A graduate of Auburn University, Asa Duncan is the only flag ranked officer at Cambridge American Cemetery.

He was survived by 3 brothers, his wife Almeida of 22 years, and his son William, who entered service in 1943, just a few short months after his father was lost at sea.

Duncan spent 26 years in service to our nation, serving in both WWI and WWII. Alabama-native Asa Duncan was 50 years old.  

The United States Navy Memorial honors Brigadier General Asa North Duncan, Chief of Staff for the famed 8th Air Force, featured within this Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service

Richard Sherman is a award winning-author, photographer, Navy Gulf War Veteran, and contributor to the Untold Stories of Service Program. Richard also joined the ranks of the Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program and actively interviews Veterans which has enriched our program by conducting extraordinary interviews which are now part of the Navy Memorial Interview Archive. To further explore the work of Richard Sherman, visit:  www.NeverHomeHeroes.com