John served as a First Lieutenant & Pilot on B-24J "Temptation" #44-40617, 98th Bomber Squadron, 11th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Kittitas County, Washington prior to the war.
He enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps on March 18, 1943 in Santa Ana, California . He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40617 took off, with a crew of 11, from Harmon Field, Guam on a bombing mission over the Marcus Islands. While over the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire which knocked out one of the engines and punctured a fuel tank. B-24J #44-40617 ended up ditching in the sea due to the damage they had sustained. Two crew members were later rescued and the rest of the crew was lost.
John was declared "Missing In Action" in this ditching during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-764368
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40617:
Dibblee, Francis R. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Finnerty, Robert F. ~ Corp, Gunner, CT
Hunt, Alexander W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Lowe, John K. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Nichols, Darwin O. ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Phillips, Zane G. ~ Corp, Radio Operator, AL
Pliler, Horace W., Jr. ~ Corp, Engineer, KS
Scimeca, Roy R. ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Slevin, Joseph A. ~ Sgt, Photographer, IL
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who survived from B-24J #44-40617:
De Roo, Raymond E. ~ Corp, Gunner
Vigue, Harold L. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, ME
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Kittitas County, Washington prior to the war.
He enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps on March 18, 1943 in Santa Ana, California . He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40617 took off, with a crew of 11, from Harmon Field, Guam on a bombing mission over the Marcus Islands. While over the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire which knocked out one of the engines and punctured a fuel tank. B-24J #44-40617 ended up ditching in the sea due to the damage they had sustained. Two crew members were later rescued and the rest of the crew was lost.
John was declared "Missing In Action" in this ditching during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-764368
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40617:
Dibblee, Francis R. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Finnerty, Robert F. ~ Corp, Gunner, CT
Hunt, Alexander W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Lowe, John K. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Nichols, Darwin O. ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Phillips, Zane G. ~ Corp, Radio Operator, AL
Pliler, Horace W., Jr. ~ Corp, Engineer, KS
Scimeca, Roy R. ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Slevin, Joseph A. ~ Sgt, Photographer, IL
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who survived from B-24J #44-40617:
De Roo, Raymond E. ~ Corp, Gunner
Vigue, Harold L. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, ME
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John served as a First Lieutenant & Pilot on B-24J "Temptation" #44-40617, 98th Bomber Squadron, 11th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Kittitas County, Washington prior to the war.
He enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps on March 18, 1943 in Santa Ana, California . He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40617 took off, with a crew of 11, from Harmon Field, Guam on a bombing mission over the Marcus Islands. While over the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire which knocked out one of the engines and punctured a fuel tank. B-24J #44-40617 ended up ditching in the sea due to the damage they had sustained. Two crew members were later rescued and the rest of the crew was lost.
John was declared "Missing In Action" in this ditching during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-764368
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40617:
Dibblee, Francis R. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Finnerty, Robert F. ~ Corp, Gunner, CT
Hunt, Alexander W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Lowe, John K. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Nichols, Darwin O. ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Phillips, Zane G. ~ Corp, Radio Operator, AL
Pliler, Horace W., Jr. ~ Corp, Engineer, KS
Scimeca, Roy R. ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Slevin, Joseph A. ~ Sgt, Photographer, IL
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who survived from B-24J #44-40617:
De Roo, Raymond E. ~ Corp, Gunner
Vigue, Harold L. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, ME
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Kittitas County, Washington prior to the war.
He enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps on March 18, 1943 in Santa Ana, California . He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40617 took off, with a crew of 11, from Harmon Field, Guam on a bombing mission over the Marcus Islands. While over the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire which knocked out one of the engines and punctured a fuel tank. B-24J #44-40617 ended up ditching in the sea due to the damage they had sustained. Two crew members were later rescued and the rest of the crew was lost.
John was declared "Missing In Action" in this ditching during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-764368
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40617:
Dibblee, Francis R. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Finnerty, Robert F. ~ Corp, Gunner, CT
Hunt, Alexander W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Lowe, John K. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Nichols, Darwin O. ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Phillips, Zane G. ~ Corp, Radio Operator, AL
Pliler, Horace W., Jr. ~ Corp, Engineer, KS
Scimeca, Roy R. ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Slevin, Joseph A. ~ Sgt, Photographer, IL
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who survived from B-24J #44-40617:
De Roo, Raymond E. ~ Corp, Gunner
Vigue, Harold L. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, ME
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Washington.
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