Francisco served as a Technical Sergeant & Radio Operator / Gunner on B-24J #42-73195, 320th Bomber Squadron, 90th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Santa Cruz County, Arizona prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on October 23, 1942 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Sales clerk and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-73195 took off, with a crew of 10, on a strike mission over Celebes Island (Sulawesi), Indonesia. After a successful bombing run they were attacked by Japanese Zeros which caused severe damage to their engine and they eventually crashed 2 miles west of Langoan Airdrome, Celebes Island. The entire crew was lost.
Francisco was "Killed In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 39851623
Francisco also has a "Cenotaph" in the City of Nogales Cemetery, Nogales, Arizona.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-73195:
The MACR only displays the position of two crew members on this B-24.
Colunga, Francisco J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, AZ
Gross, John A ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Gates, Robert T ~ S/Sgt, WA
Luck, Byron B ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Mahaney, Edward J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Moore, Donald W ~ 2nd Lt, KY
Richardson, Grady H ~ T/Sgt, LA
Showers, William A ~ S/Sgt, PA
Sikes, Samuel H ~ S/Sgt, GA
Smith, Charles O ~ S/Sgt, CA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Santa Cruz County, Arizona prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on October 23, 1942 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Sales clerk and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-73195 took off, with a crew of 10, on a strike mission over Celebes Island (Sulawesi), Indonesia. After a successful bombing run they were attacked by Japanese Zeros which caused severe damage to their engine and they eventually crashed 2 miles west of Langoan Airdrome, Celebes Island. The entire crew was lost.
Francisco was "Killed In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 39851623
Francisco also has a "Cenotaph" in the City of Nogales Cemetery, Nogales, Arizona.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-73195:
The MACR only displays the position of two crew members on this B-24.
Colunga, Francisco J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, AZ
Gross, John A ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Gates, Robert T ~ S/Sgt, WA
Luck, Byron B ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Mahaney, Edward J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Moore, Donald W ~ 2nd Lt, KY
Richardson, Grady H ~ T/Sgt, LA
Showers, William A ~ S/Sgt, PA
Sikes, Samuel H ~ S/Sgt, GA
Smith, Charles O ~ S/Sgt, CA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Francisco served as a Technical Sergeant & Radio Operator / Gunner on B-24J #42-73195, 320th Bomber Squadron, 90th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Santa Cruz County, Arizona prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on October 23, 1942 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Sales clerk and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-73195 took off, with a crew of 10, on a strike mission over Celebes Island (Sulawesi), Indonesia. After a successful bombing run they were attacked by Japanese Zeros which caused severe damage to their engine and they eventually crashed 2 miles west of Langoan Airdrome, Celebes Island. The entire crew was lost.
Francisco was "Killed In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 39851623
Francisco also has a "Cenotaph" in the City of Nogales Cemetery, Nogales, Arizona.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-73195:
The MACR only displays the position of two crew members on this B-24.
Colunga, Francisco J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, AZ
Gross, John A ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Gates, Robert T ~ S/Sgt, WA
Luck, Byron B ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Mahaney, Edward J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Moore, Donald W ~ 2nd Lt, KY
Richardson, Grady H ~ T/Sgt, LA
Showers, William A ~ S/Sgt, PA
Sikes, Samuel H ~ S/Sgt, GA
Smith, Charles O ~ S/Sgt, CA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Santa Cruz County, Arizona prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on October 23, 1942 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Sales clerk and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-73195 took off, with a crew of 10, on a strike mission over Celebes Island (Sulawesi), Indonesia. After a successful bombing run they were attacked by Japanese Zeros which caused severe damage to their engine and they eventually crashed 2 miles west of Langoan Airdrome, Celebes Island. The entire crew was lost.
Francisco was "Killed In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 39851623
Francisco also has a "Cenotaph" in the City of Nogales Cemetery, Nogales, Arizona.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-73195:
The MACR only displays the position of two crew members on this B-24.
Colunga, Francisco J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, AZ
Gross, John A ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Gates, Robert T ~ S/Sgt, WA
Luck, Byron B ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Mahaney, Edward J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Moore, Donald W ~ 2nd Lt, KY
Richardson, Grady H ~ T/Sgt, LA
Showers, William A ~ S/Sgt, PA
Sikes, Samuel H ~ S/Sgt, GA
Smith, Charles O ~ S/Sgt, CA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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