Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until December 14, 1945.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John served as a First Lieutenant & Navigator on B-24D #41-23773, 321st Bomber Squadron, 90th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Cook County, Illinois prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 8, 1941, prior to the war, in Macon, Georgia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Office Clerk and also as Single, without dependents.

B-24D #41-23773 took off from 5-Mile (Ward's Drome) on a search mission for B-17F #41-24458 that did not return from a previous mission. Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker was an observer on that B-17.

B-24D #41-23773 also failed to return and was believed to have disappeared over the Solomon Sea area. The entire crew was declared Missing In Action (MIA).

John was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.

He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Service # O-726878

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-24D #41-23773:

Ball, Norval J ~ Pvt, Gunner, IN
Conway, John D ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Cunningham, James M, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OK
De Haven, Thomas J ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Everett, Edward B ~ Sgt, Engineer, VA
Hakeman, Lloyd N, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, IA
McGrath, Joseph D ~ Pfc, Tail Gunner, MA
Purpura, Charles V ~ Sgt, Gunner, FL
Rose, George M ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, UT
Speith, Harold L, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Nose Gunner, DC

Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until December 14, 1945.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John served as a First Lieutenant & Navigator on B-24D #41-23773, 321st Bomber Squadron, 90th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Cook County, Illinois prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 8, 1941, prior to the war, in Macon, Georgia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Office Clerk and also as Single, without dependents.

B-24D #41-23773 took off from 5-Mile (Ward's Drome) on a search mission for B-17F #41-24458 that did not return from a previous mission. Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker was an observer on that B-17.

B-24D #41-23773 also failed to return and was believed to have disappeared over the Solomon Sea area. The entire crew was declared Missing In Action (MIA).

John was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.

He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Service # O-726878

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-24D #41-23773:

Ball, Norval J ~ Pvt, Gunner, IN
Conway, John D ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Cunningham, James M, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OK
De Haven, Thomas J ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Everett, Edward B ~ Sgt, Engineer, VA
Hakeman, Lloyd N, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, IA
McGrath, Joseph D ~ Pfc, Tail Gunner, MA
Purpura, Charles V ~ Sgt, Gunner, FL
Rose, George M ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, UT
Speith, Harold L, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Nose Gunner, DC

Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~