Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until October 9.1944.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Joseph served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J "Super" #42-73338, 65th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force During World War II.

He resided in Hudson County, New Jersey prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on July 25, 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.

B-24J #42-73338 took off from Nadzab Airfield on a bombing mission over Hansa Bay. They were hit, over the target, by ground anti-aircraft fire which blew off one of the wings and they crashed into the sea.

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

He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Service # 32452236

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-73338:

Ball, Louis D ~ Sgt, Gunner, IL
Bialy, Joseph G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Brown, James C ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, SC
Fitzgerald, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MA
Huntington, Harry F ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CA
Keen, Joseph C, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Schlesier, Harold G ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Smith, Earle P, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, MA
Steffanelli, Patrick P ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, NJ
Taylor, John W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, TN

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 October 9.1944.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Joseph served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J "Super" #42-73338, 65th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force During World War II.

He resided in Hudson County, New Jersey prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on July 25, 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.

B-24J #42-73338 took off from Nadzab Airfield on a bombing mission over Hansa Bay. They were hit, over the target, by ground anti-aircraft fire which blew off one of the wings and they crashed into the sea.

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

He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Service # 32452236

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-73338:

Ball, Louis D ~ Sgt, Gunner, IL
Bialy, Joseph G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Brown, James C ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, SC
Fitzgerald, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MA
Huntington, Harry F ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CA
Keen, Joseph C, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Schlesier, Harold G ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Smith, Earle P, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, MA
Steffanelli, Patrick P ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, NJ
Taylor, John W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, TN

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

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