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TSGT William A Staats Jr.

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TSGT William A Staats Jr.

Birth
New York, USA
Death
1 Oct 1943 (aged 21–22)
Austria
Burial
Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA Add to Map
Plot
SECTION 82 SITE 7B
Memorial ID
View Source
Radio Op. T/Sgt. William A Staats Jr DFC KIA
Hometown: New York
Squadron: 328th BS 93RD Bomb Group
Service # 12057225
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot 1st/Lt. William F. Stein KIA

Bombardier 2nd/Lt. John M. McDonough KIA DFC
Hometown: Oakland, California
Squadron: 328th BS 93rd Bomb Group
Service # O-735328
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot 1st/Lt. William F. Stein KIA

Target: Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory
Missing Air Crew Report Details
USAAF MACR#:
Date Lost: 1-Oct-43
Serial Number: 41-23711
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter: B
Aircraft Name: JERKS NATURAL
Location: Brandlucken (Austria)
Cause: Crew of 10 9KIA 1POW

William F. Stein's crew's remains were eventually discovered by the Army in a village cemetery. Stein and his men were identified, placed in a single casket, and returned to the U.S. On March 13, 1950, the families gathered at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, to bury their sons, even though their doubts and hopes never entirely died.

William W. Sykes parachuted into Heilbrunn, a tiny village tucked into the mountains north of the old fortress city of Graz, in southeast Austria. He was taken to the Heilbrunn inn. Austrian farmers showed him watches taken from the bodies. Nazis tokk him away for 19 months of captivity. Sykes died July 26, 1993 in his Florida home.

Lt. McDonough with Pilot Lt. Cleveland Hickman was a recipient of the Distinguished flying cross for his participation in the Ploesti raid "Operation Tidal Wave" August 1st 1943. One of the most daring raids of WWII. Coming in at tree top level the 93rd BG destroy Romanian oil refineries.

Crew of JERKS NATURAL
1st/Lt. William F. Stein Pilot KIA
1st/Lt. George B. Wilkinson, Jr Co Pilot KIA
Lt. William W. Sykes Navigator POW
2nd/Lt. John M. McDonough Bombardier KIA
T/Sgt. Jack W. Kasparian Engineer KIA
T/Sgt. William A. Staats, Jr Radio Op. KIA
T/Sgt. Larry H. White Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Philip G. Bedwell Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Lester J. Eby Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Adrian H. Smit Gunner KIA
Radio Op. T/Sgt. William A Staats Jr DFC KIA
Hometown: New York
Squadron: 328th BS 93RD Bomb Group
Service # 12057225
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot 1st/Lt. William F. Stein KIA

Bombardier 2nd/Lt. John M. McDonough KIA DFC
Hometown: Oakland, California
Squadron: 328th BS 93rd Bomb Group
Service # O-735328
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot 1st/Lt. William F. Stein KIA

Target: Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory
Missing Air Crew Report Details
USAAF MACR#:
Date Lost: 1-Oct-43
Serial Number: 41-23711
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter: B
Aircraft Name: JERKS NATURAL
Location: Brandlucken (Austria)
Cause: Crew of 10 9KIA 1POW

William F. Stein's crew's remains were eventually discovered by the Army in a village cemetery. Stein and his men were identified, placed in a single casket, and returned to the U.S. On March 13, 1950, the families gathered at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, to bury their sons, even though their doubts and hopes never entirely died.

William W. Sykes parachuted into Heilbrunn, a tiny village tucked into the mountains north of the old fortress city of Graz, in southeast Austria. He was taken to the Heilbrunn inn. Austrian farmers showed him watches taken from the bodies. Nazis tokk him away for 19 months of captivity. Sykes died July 26, 1993 in his Florida home.

Lt. McDonough with Pilot Lt. Cleveland Hickman was a recipient of the Distinguished flying cross for his participation in the Ploesti raid "Operation Tidal Wave" August 1st 1943. One of the most daring raids of WWII. Coming in at tree top level the 93rd BG destroy Romanian oil refineries.

Crew of JERKS NATURAL
1st/Lt. William F. Stein Pilot KIA
1st/Lt. George B. Wilkinson, Jr Co Pilot KIA
Lt. William W. Sykes Navigator POW
2nd/Lt. John M. McDonough Bombardier KIA
T/Sgt. Jack W. Kasparian Engineer KIA
T/Sgt. William A. Staats, Jr Radio Op. KIA
T/Sgt. Larry H. White Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Philip G. Bedwell Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Lester J. Eby Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Adrian H. Smit Gunner KIA

Inscription

TSGT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II


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  • Maintained by: Russ Pickett
  • Originally Created by: ShaneO
  • Added: Jul 30, 2009
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40056661/william_a-staats: accessed ), memorial page for TSGT William A Staats Jr. (1921–1 Oct 1943), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40056661, citing Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by Russ Pickett (contributor 46575736).