Recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart (posthumously)
SSGT - US ARMY AIR CORPS - WORLD WAR II
Snookie was the radio operator on his crew's B-17 (the B-17 was so large that it was called the "Flying Fortress"). His first mission was on November 20, 1944, and he was awarded the Air Medal on December 2, 1944. On April 22, 1945, his parents received a Western Union telegram saying that he had been killed in action (KIA). Snookie was part of an 11-man crew on a B-17; all had made the ultimate sacrifice for our country; see the link below - "Inscription."
In the summer of 1949, the family was informed that his plane had been found, and that he and five others in his crew had been interred together in a cemetery in Italy. I think that it was the Department of Defense (the "War Department" was dissolved in 1947), who notified the families that their sons'/husbands' bodies would be brought back to the States for repatriation (reburial) in a mass grave at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. That service was held on December 7.
Below is a transcription of a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article published in the summer of 1949:
"JAMES McKINNEY'S BODY IS INTERRED IN ITALY CEMETERY
Mr. and Mrs. W. T. McKinney, 2437 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, formerly of Ponder, have been notified by the War Department that the body of their son, Staff Sgt. James E. McKinney, was located at Vic Rosa, Italy, and later buried in a U. S. Cemetery at Mirandola, Italy.
Sgt. McKinney was killed April 20, 1945, in the crash of his bomber after it had been riddled by enemy fire. The plane crashed and burned near Fortez Za (*Fortezza*), Italy. Five other members of the crew were killed (*buried*) with McKinney.
He was reared at Ponder and finished high school there in 1942. He entered the Air Corps in April 1943 and was a radio operator on a B-17. He received his wings in Sioux Falls, S.D. in 1944 and was sent overseas Sept. 28, 1944. Holder of the Air Medal, Sgt. McKinney had flown 27 missions at the time of his death. He was the youngest flyer with the 97th Airborne Division, being only 20 at the time of his death.
McKinney's parents lost their home June 17 (*May*) in the Fort Worth flood, and now temporarily reside at 3313 Nichols St. Besides his parents, he is survived by one sister, Mrs. M. R. Griffey and a grandmother, Mrs. W. W. White of Denton."
Note: (* *) are corrections
There were 11 total crew members.
Other crew members were:
Conner, Victor G. - Sgt. - Togglier - from Texas
Dudek,, Chester A. - Sgt. - Photographer - from New York
Sullivan, Earle L. - 2LT - Pilot - from Massachusetts
Townsend, Gordon K., Jr. - 2LT - Co-Pilot - from Florida
Weinstein, David - S/Sgt. - Tail Gunner, from New York
SSGT - US ARMY AIR CORPS - WORLD WAR II
Snookie was the radio operator on his crew's B-17 (the B-17 was so large that it was called the "Flying Fortress"). His first mission was on November 20, 1944, and he was awarded the Air Medal on December 2, 1944. On April 22, 1945, his parents received a Western Union telegram saying that he had been killed in action (KIA). Snookie was part of an 11-man crew on a B-17; all had made the ultimate sacrifice for our country; see the link below - "Inscription."
In the summer of 1949, the family was informed that his plane had been found, and that he and five others in his crew had been interred together in a cemetery in Italy. I think that it was the Department of Defense (the "War Department" was dissolved in 1947), who notified the families that their sons'/husbands' bodies would be brought back to the States for repatriation (reburial) in a mass grave at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. That service was held on December 7.
Below is a transcription of a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article published in the summer of 1949:
"JAMES McKINNEY'S BODY IS INTERRED IN ITALY CEMETERY
Mr. and Mrs. W. T. McKinney, 2437 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, formerly of Ponder, have been notified by the War Department that the body of their son, Staff Sgt. James E. McKinney, was located at Vic Rosa, Italy, and later buried in a U. S. Cemetery at Mirandola, Italy.
Sgt. McKinney was killed April 20, 1945, in the crash of his bomber after it had been riddled by enemy fire. The plane crashed and burned near Fortez Za (*Fortezza*), Italy. Five other members of the crew were killed (*buried*) with McKinney.
He was reared at Ponder and finished high school there in 1942. He entered the Air Corps in April 1943 and was a radio operator on a B-17. He received his wings in Sioux Falls, S.D. in 1944 and was sent overseas Sept. 28, 1944. Holder of the Air Medal, Sgt. McKinney had flown 27 missions at the time of his death. He was the youngest flyer with the 97th Airborne Division, being only 20 at the time of his death.
McKinney's parents lost their home June 17 (*May*) in the Fort Worth flood, and now temporarily reside at 3313 Nichols St. Besides his parents, he is survived by one sister, Mrs. M. R. Griffey and a grandmother, Mrs. W. W. White of Denton."
Note: (* *) are corrections
There were 11 total crew members.
Other crew members were:
Conner, Victor G. - Sgt. - Togglier - from Texas
Dudek,, Chester A. - Sgt. - Photographer - from New York
Sullivan, Earle L. - 2LT - Pilot - from Massachusetts
Townsend, Gordon K., Jr. - 2LT - Co-Pilot - from Florida
Weinstein, David - S/Sgt. - Tail Gunner, from New York
Recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart (posthumously)
SSGT - US ARMY AIR CORPS - WORLD WAR II
Snookie was the radio operator on his crew's B-17 (the B-17 was so large that it was called the "Flying Fortress"). His first mission was on November 20, 1944, and he was awarded the Air Medal on December 2, 1944. On April 22, 1945, his parents received a Western Union telegram saying that he had been killed in action (KIA). Snookie was part of an 11-man crew on a B-17; all had made the ultimate sacrifice for our country; see the link below - "Inscription."
In the summer of 1949, the family was informed that his plane had been found, and that he and five others in his crew had been interred together in a cemetery in Italy. I think that it was the Department of Defense (the "War Department" was dissolved in 1947), who notified the families that their sons'/husbands' bodies would be brought back to the States for repatriation (reburial) in a mass grave at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. That service was held on December 7.
Below is a transcription of a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article published in the summer of 1949:
"JAMES McKINNEY'S BODY IS INTERRED IN ITALY CEMETERY
Mr. and Mrs. W. T. McKinney, 2437 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, formerly of Ponder, have been notified by the War Department that the body of their son, Staff Sgt. James E. McKinney, was located at Vic Rosa, Italy, and later buried in a U. S. Cemetery at Mirandola, Italy.
Sgt. McKinney was killed April 20, 1945, in the crash of his bomber after it had been riddled by enemy fire. The plane crashed and burned near Fortez Za (*Fortezza*), Italy. Five other members of the crew were killed (*buried*) with McKinney.
He was reared at Ponder and finished high school there in 1942. He entered the Air Corps in April 1943 and was a radio operator on a B-17. He received his wings in Sioux Falls, S.D. in 1944 and was sent overseas Sept. 28, 1944. Holder of the Air Medal, Sgt. McKinney had flown 27 missions at the time of his death. He was the youngest flyer with the 97th Airborne Division, being only 20 at the time of his death.
McKinney's parents lost their home June 17 (*May*) in the Fort Worth flood, and now temporarily reside at 3313 Nichols St. Besides his parents, he is survived by one sister, Mrs. M. R. Griffey and a grandmother, Mrs. W. W. White of Denton."
Note: (* *) are corrections
There were 11 total crew members.
Other crew members were:
Conner, Victor G. - Sgt. - Togglier - from Texas
Dudek,, Chester A. - Sgt. - Photographer - from New York
Sullivan, Earle L. - 2LT - Pilot - from Massachusetts
Townsend, Gordon K., Jr. - 2LT - Co-Pilot - from Florida
Weinstein, David - S/Sgt. - Tail Gunner, from New York
SSGT - US ARMY AIR CORPS - WORLD WAR II
Snookie was the radio operator on his crew's B-17 (the B-17 was so large that it was called the "Flying Fortress"). His first mission was on November 20, 1944, and he was awarded the Air Medal on December 2, 1944. On April 22, 1945, his parents received a Western Union telegram saying that he had been killed in action (KIA). Snookie was part of an 11-man crew on a B-17; all had made the ultimate sacrifice for our country; see the link below - "Inscription."
In the summer of 1949, the family was informed that his plane had been found, and that he and five others in his crew had been interred together in a cemetery in Italy. I think that it was the Department of Defense (the "War Department" was dissolved in 1947), who notified the families that their sons'/husbands' bodies would be brought back to the States for repatriation (reburial) in a mass grave at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. That service was held on December 7.
Below is a transcription of a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article published in the summer of 1949:
"JAMES McKINNEY'S BODY IS INTERRED IN ITALY CEMETERY
Mr. and Mrs. W. T. McKinney, 2437 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, formerly of Ponder, have been notified by the War Department that the body of their son, Staff Sgt. James E. McKinney, was located at Vic Rosa, Italy, and later buried in a U. S. Cemetery at Mirandola, Italy.
Sgt. McKinney was killed April 20, 1945, in the crash of his bomber after it had been riddled by enemy fire. The plane crashed and burned near Fortez Za (*Fortezza*), Italy. Five other members of the crew were killed (*buried*) with McKinney.
He was reared at Ponder and finished high school there in 1942. He entered the Air Corps in April 1943 and was a radio operator on a B-17. He received his wings in Sioux Falls, S.D. in 1944 and was sent overseas Sept. 28, 1944. Holder of the Air Medal, Sgt. McKinney had flown 27 missions at the time of his death. He was the youngest flyer with the 97th Airborne Division, being only 20 at the time of his death.
McKinney's parents lost their home June 17 (*May*) in the Fort Worth flood, and now temporarily reside at 3313 Nichols St. Besides his parents, he is survived by one sister, Mrs. M. R. Griffey and a grandmother, Mrs. W. W. White of Denton."
Note: (* *) are corrections
There were 11 total crew members.
Other crew members were:
Conner, Victor G. - Sgt. - Togglier - from Texas
Dudek,, Chester A. - Sgt. - Photographer - from New York
Sullivan, Earle L. - 2LT - Pilot - from Massachusetts
Townsend, Gordon K., Jr. - 2LT - Co-Pilot - from Florida
Weinstein, David - S/Sgt. - Tail Gunner, from New York
Inscription
Thomas W Bonner S Sgt
James E McKinney S Sgt
James D Porter S Sgt
Robert G Tichy T Sgt
Alfonse J Tomaszycki S Sgt
John E Wilcox 2D Lt
Air Corps
April 20 1945
Family Members
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