Alexander served as a First Lieutenant & Co-Pilot on B-25C #41-13153, 390th Bomber Squadron, 42nd Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Cuyahoga County, Ohio prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 20, 1942 at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a appraiser and also as Single, without dependents.
B-25C #41-13153 took off, with a crew of 6 & 7 other B-25s, from Carney Field, Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands on a enemy shipping search mission around Vella Lavella Island, Western Province, Solomon Islands.
The group found and sank Japanese destroyer Kiyonami. B-25C #41-13153 was noted as making a direct bomb hit on the destroyer's magazine which caused it's eventual sinking.
While on the way back to their base B-25C #41-13153 and 3 other B-25s saw what they thought to be Japanese small naval craft and they attacked. However it was later discovered that they were actually U.S. PT boats 164, 166, & 168.
They ended up causing U.S. Navy PT-166 to explode and sink. The PT boats, while returning fire, damaged the engines on B-25C #41-13153 which caused them to crash into the sea. Three airmen were lost on this mission and the other three were later rescued in a life raft by PT-168.
The crew of PT-166 were all able to abandon ship prior to its explosion and all survived.
Alexander was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-729350
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-25C #41-13153:
Deutsch, Jerome M ~ 2nd Lt, Nav/Bmb, OH
Lukich, Alexander R ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Schauffler, William G, III ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NJ
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Cuyahoga County, Ohio prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 20, 1942 at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a appraiser and also as Single, without dependents.
B-25C #41-13153 took off, with a crew of 6 & 7 other B-25s, from Carney Field, Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands on a enemy shipping search mission around Vella Lavella Island, Western Province, Solomon Islands.
The group found and sank Japanese destroyer Kiyonami. B-25C #41-13153 was noted as making a direct bomb hit on the destroyer's magazine which caused it's eventual sinking.
While on the way back to their base B-25C #41-13153 and 3 other B-25s saw what they thought to be Japanese small naval craft and they attacked. However it was later discovered that they were actually U.S. PT boats 164, 166, & 168.
They ended up causing U.S. Navy PT-166 to explode and sink. The PT boats, while returning fire, damaged the engines on B-25C #41-13153 which caused them to crash into the sea. Three airmen were lost on this mission and the other three were later rescued in a life raft by PT-168.
The crew of PT-166 were all able to abandon ship prior to its explosion and all survived.
Alexander was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-729350
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-25C #41-13153:
Deutsch, Jerome M ~ 2nd Lt, Nav/Bmb, OH
Lukich, Alexander R ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Schauffler, William G, III ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NJ
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alexander served as a First Lieutenant & Co-Pilot on B-25C #41-13153, 390th Bomber Squadron, 42nd Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Cuyahoga County, Ohio prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 20, 1942 at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a appraiser and also as Single, without dependents.
B-25C #41-13153 took off, with a crew of 6 & 7 other B-25s, from Carney Field, Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands on a enemy shipping search mission around Vella Lavella Island, Western Province, Solomon Islands.
The group found and sank Japanese destroyer Kiyonami. B-25C #41-13153 was noted as making a direct bomb hit on the destroyer's magazine which caused it's eventual sinking.
While on the way back to their base B-25C #41-13153 and 3 other B-25s saw what they thought to be Japanese small naval craft and they attacked. However it was later discovered that they were actually U.S. PT boats 164, 166, & 168.
They ended up causing U.S. Navy PT-166 to explode and sink. The PT boats, while returning fire, damaged the engines on B-25C #41-13153 which caused them to crash into the sea. Three airmen were lost on this mission and the other three were later rescued in a life raft by PT-168.
The crew of PT-166 were all able to abandon ship prior to its explosion and all survived.
Alexander was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-729350
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-25C #41-13153:
Deutsch, Jerome M ~ 2nd Lt, Nav/Bmb, OH
Lukich, Alexander R ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Schauffler, William G, III ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NJ
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Cuyahoga County, Ohio prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 20, 1942 at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a appraiser and also as Single, without dependents.
B-25C #41-13153 took off, with a crew of 6 & 7 other B-25s, from Carney Field, Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands on a enemy shipping search mission around Vella Lavella Island, Western Province, Solomon Islands.
The group found and sank Japanese destroyer Kiyonami. B-25C #41-13153 was noted as making a direct bomb hit on the destroyer's magazine which caused it's eventual sinking.
While on the way back to their base B-25C #41-13153 and 3 other B-25s saw what they thought to be Japanese small naval craft and they attacked. However it was later discovered that they were actually U.S. PT boats 164, 166, & 168.
They ended up causing U.S. Navy PT-166 to explode and sink. The PT boats, while returning fire, damaged the engines on B-25C #41-13153 which caused them to crash into the sea. Three airmen were lost on this mission and the other three were later rescued in a life raft by PT-168.
The crew of PT-166 were all able to abandon ship prior to its explosion and all survived.
Alexander was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-729350
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-25C #41-13153:
Deutsch, Jerome M ~ 2nd Lt, Nav/Bmb, OH
Lukich, Alexander R ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Schauffler, William G, III ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NJ
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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