Pershing served as a First Lieutenant, 70th Bomber Squadron, 42nd Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in McCracken County, Kentucky prior to the war.

He enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps on November 1, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Architect and also as Single, without dependents.

Pershing was a passenger on RB-24D #41-24107 that was assigned to the Pacific Wing, Air Transport Command.

RB-24D #41-24107 took off, with a crew of 6 and 26 passengers, from Whenuapai, New Zealand on a passenger transport flight to Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield, New Caledonia. The passengers were all returning to duty after R & R in New Zealand.

A radio operator based at La Tontouta Airfield, New Caledonia had contact with them as they passed over. After this contact it was later discovered that they had crashed into a mountain side in New Caledonia which had killed all onboard. They were all interred there at the crash site, more than likely in a mass grave, and have never been dis-interred for identification.

Pershing was therefore declared "Missing In Action" in the "Line Of Duty" on this flight during the war.

He was previously awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Cluster.

Service # O-664915

Husband of Mrs. Pershing W. Rodgers who resided in Paducah, Kentucky.

( Bio by: Russ Pickett )

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Crew who perished on RB-24D # 41-24107:

Lock, Harry A ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, FL
Neaves, Wilmer C, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, VA
Sidito, Salvatore ~ Corp, Radio Operator, NY
Slater, William R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY
Talent, Harvin A ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, MA
Turner, Roger R ~ Corp, Engineer, MN

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Passengers who perished on RB-24D # 41-24107:

Callahan, Leslie J ~ 1st Lt, KS
Dumbleton, Robert C ~ 1st Lt, NY
Fletcher, Claude R, Jr ~ 1st Lt, OK
Gouin, George N ~ Sgt, CT
Haffner, John M ~ Maj, ID
Hinton, Charlie M ~ 1st Lt, FL
Hoffman, Richard F ~ S/Sgt, OH
Hoffmann, Richard E ~ S/Sgt, IA
Johnson, William R ~ 2nd Lt, NJ
Luce, William E ~ S/Sgt, WI
McCurry, Charles R ~ 2nd Lt, TX
McMillan, Jack W ~ 1st Lt, CA
Melville, David E, Jr ~ 1st Lt, TX
O'Leary, Max, Jr ~ 1st Lt, MI
Penna, Anthony T ~ 1st Lt, NY
Rodgers, Pershing W ~ 1st Lt, KY
Rogers, Melbern G ~ 1st Lt, AR
Roks, John N ~ Sgt, MO
Schmidt, Robert F ~ 1st Lt, OH
Schoeck, Robert J ~ 1st Lt, NY
Smith, Lawrence L ~ 1st Lt, OH
Sniadecki, Michael S ~ Sgt, OH
Snyder, Gene B ~ 1st Lt, WA
Taffe, John V ~ 1st Lt, NY
Tittle, Ralph C ~ 1st Lt, MI
Zanoni, Alfred L ~ 1st Lt, NJ

Passenger List & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett

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