Three brothers, born and raised in North Dakota, were war heroes. The Check brothers, from the western part of the state, all served in World War II.

Leonard, the oldest, was the only double-ace born in North Dakota. Raymond, the youngest, was described by Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes as "one of the great heroes."

Gilbert, the middle brother, was an army officer during World War II, but it was during the Korean Conflict that he deservedly received most of his awards and accolades. We will look at his life, contributions and legacy in next week's column.

Both Leonard and Raymond Check were pilots during World War II, Leonard Check with the U.S. Navy and Raymond Check with the U.S. Air Force. Both were killed during the war.

Raymond Check was killed while on his 25th and final bombing run over France on June 26, 1943, and Leonard Check was killed in a mid-air collision over the Philippine Islands on Jan. 4, 1945.

The Check family lived in Berwick, Churchs Ferry, Granville and Williston. Leonard Check was born in 1911, Gilbert Check in 1912 and Raymond Check in 1917.

Leonard Check joined the U.S. Navy on July 22, 1936. Requesting to become a pilot, he received his pilot training and was designated a naval aviator on Oct. 25, 1937.

He was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in 1941.

The Enterprise was ordered back to Pearl Harbor and was supposed to arrive on Dec. 6, but bad weather delayed the arrival three days. Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec. 7, and, if the Enterprise had been in the harbor, it would have been a main target.

After war was declared by the U.S., Leonard Check was promoted to squadron commander of a newly formed group of Grumman Hellcat fighter pilots and transferred to the USS Hancock.

Often engaged in aerial fights with Japanese pilots, he found himself facing a very difficult situation on Oct. 29, 1944, when he intercepted an enemy formation of seven bombers and eight fighters who had set their sites on the Hancock and other U.S. vessels.

He selected one of the dive bombers as a target and shot it down. He then continued alone and spotted two additional bombers. He got behind one of them and set it ablaze and, as he was about to pursue the other, his gun jammed. Finally able to clear his weapon, he shot the other out of the sky. He spotted another enemy bomber and also shot it down.

Although this action took only eight minutes, it caused the other enemy aircraft to leave and likely saved the Hancock from serious damage. For his heroics, he was awarded the Navy Cross.

In a period of three months, he shot down 10 Japanese aircraft and also had one "probable" and one seriously damaged enemy airplane. On Jan. 4, 1945, while flying over Luzon in the Philippine Islands, he had a less experienced wingman flying with him. The two planes collided, sending both aircraft crashing below.

Besides the Navy Cross, he also was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal.

Raymond Check was six years younger than Leonard Check. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in February 1942.

He received bomber training at Wendover, Utah, and was then given the assignment to ferry planes to the airfield at Thurleigh, England. When he arrived, he was promoted to captain and attached to the 30th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force in the 423rd Squadron.

Raymond Check was extremely likable and soon became friends with a reporter for Stars and Stripes, the Army newspaper. That reporter, Andy Rooney, also was stationed with the 8th Air Force at Thurleigh, and, in two of his books, "The Story of the Stars and Stripes" and "My War," referred to Raymond Check as "the finest pilot and the greatest guy on the field."

However, his best friend on the base was a pretty nurse whom he planned to marry on June 27, 1943. Before the ceremony could take place, he had to fly one last bombing raid, his 25th.

According to Rooney, this mission on June 26 was expected to be uneventful, "a milk run." Consequently, they would receive no fighter escort. Lt. Col. James W. Wilson, the squad commander, asked to come along, and Raymond Check gave the colonel the pilot seat and he served as co-pilot.

Just as the plane was approaching its target, there was a heavy flurry of flak from the ground and an enemy fighter plane attacked them from behind.

A 20 mm cannon shell from the German fighter exploded right over the cockpit area, and a large fragment hit Raymond Check in the head, killing him instantly. Wilson and Check's normal co-pilot, William Cassedy, who was serving as right gunner on this flight, managed to fly the plane back to the air base.

Capt. Raymond Check's decorations included the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and a Purple Heart.

(Reach writer Curt Eriksmoen at cjeriksmoen@cableone.net.)