Son of Charles V and Dora May Pickett of Warren, Pennsylvania. Lieutenant Pickett enlisted 5 May 1942 at Hampden, Massachusetts after only 3 years of High School.
2nd Lieutenant Pickett was the Co- Pilot on a Boeing B-17 flying Fortress Bomber. Pickett was one of a 10 man crew of a bomber for the 339th Bombardment Squadron of the 96th Bombardment Group of the 8th Army Air Force flying a B-17 F model from there base at Snetterton Heath north of London, England.
On the 20th of October 1943 the target was a Bomb manufacturing plant near Aachen, Germany. On the way they were attacked by enemy fighter aircraft over Belgium and had to break away from the B-17 formation and became separated from the rest of the bombers. Two of the crew, Radio Operator Frederick William McManus and Tail Gunner George Carl Janser were killed during the attacks by the fighter aircraft. Fortunately the pilot was able to fight to keep the bomber aloft long enough for the remainder of the crew to bail out but an explosion separated the tail of the doomed bomber and it crashed not far from an enemy Luftwaffe airfield just 35 miles southwest of Brussels, Belgium.
When the captured crew members returned to the states after wars end they learned the fate of there fellow crew members. Two more of the crew, Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Arthur Charles Pickett and Left Waist Gunner S.Sgt.Jerome Chester Nawracaj had made it out of the plane but died or were killed after landing. The remainder of the crew including Pilot Robert Zeno Grimes, Navigator 2nd Lt James Dee McElray, Bombardier 2nd Lt. Charles Vernon Carlson, Top Turret Gunner / Engineer T/Sgt. Theodore Ralph Kellers, Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt. Harold Threadwell Sheets, and Ball Turret Gunner S/Sgt. Robert William Melten had all survived the war.
42-30372
MACR #1017
Son of Charles V and Dora May Pickett of Warren, Pennsylvania. Lieutenant Pickett enlisted 5 May 1942 at Hampden, Massachusetts after only 3 years of High School.
2nd Lieutenant Pickett was the Co- Pilot on a Boeing B-17 flying Fortress Bomber. Pickett was one of a 10 man crew of a bomber for the 339th Bombardment Squadron of the 96th Bombardment Group of the 8th Army Air Force flying a B-17 F model from there base at Snetterton Heath north of London, England.
On the 20th of October 1943 the target was a Bomb manufacturing plant near Aachen, Germany. On the way they were attacked by enemy fighter aircraft over Belgium and had to break away from the B-17 formation and became separated from the rest of the bombers. Two of the crew, Radio Operator Frederick William McManus and Tail Gunner George Carl Janser were killed during the attacks by the fighter aircraft. Fortunately the pilot was able to fight to keep the bomber aloft long enough for the remainder of the crew to bail out but an explosion separated the tail of the doomed bomber and it crashed not far from an enemy Luftwaffe airfield just 35 miles southwest of Brussels, Belgium.
When the captured crew members returned to the states after wars end they learned the fate of there fellow crew members. Two more of the crew, Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Arthur Charles Pickett and Left Waist Gunner S.Sgt.Jerome Chester Nawracaj had made it out of the plane but died or were killed after landing. The remainder of the crew including Pilot Robert Zeno Grimes, Navigator 2nd Lt James Dee McElray, Bombardier 2nd Lt. Charles Vernon Carlson, Top Turret Gunner / Engineer T/Sgt. Theodore Ralph Kellers, Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt. Harold Threadwell Sheets, and Ball Turret Gunner S/Sgt. Robert William Melten had all survived the war.
42-30372
MACR #1017
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Massachusetts.
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