John served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-72999, 819th Bomber Squadron, 30th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Baltimore, Maryland prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on July 15, 1941, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a sheet metal worker and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-72999 took off, with a crew of 10, from the Tarawa Airfield on a bombing mission over Roi Island. Possibly due to engine trouble, they crash about 15 minutes after takeoff approximately 3 miles off the east coast of Tarawa. Two explosions were heard by ground crews in Tarawa after they hit the water. The entire crew died in this crash.
The entire crews remains were recovered and they were all interred in the Marine Cemetery #33 in Tarawa.
Only two of the crew members remains, 2nd Lt. Dabrowski & S/Sgt Myers, were later located after the war and eventually returned to the families for burial in the late 1940's.
In 2017 History Flight, Inc. uncovered a series of coffin burials from Cemetery #33, which were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis. On Dec. 20, 2018, one set of remains was identified as U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Carl M. Shaffer and his remains were interred in the Highland Memorial Park, Pottstown, PA.
In January, 2019 the remains of 1st Lt. Lurcott were recovered and his remains were interred in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
The remains of the other 6 have not been recovered.
John was declared " Missing In Action " in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 33064378
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-72999:
Alenier, Stanley J. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY ~ "MIA"
Dabrowski, Stephen J. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NJ
Fenzel, John F. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MD ~ "MIA"
Johnson, George M. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, DE ~ "MIA"
Lurcott, Howard T. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MO
Myers, Arthur E. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Polzien, Donald L. ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, IA ~ "MIA"
Rothman, Howard ~ Sgt, Radar Operator, NJ ~ "MIA"
Shaffer, Carl M. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Shell, James W. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, GA ~ "MIA"
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Baltimore, Maryland prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on July 15, 1941, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a sheet metal worker and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-72999 took off, with a crew of 10, from the Tarawa Airfield on a bombing mission over Roi Island. Possibly due to engine trouble, they crash about 15 minutes after takeoff approximately 3 miles off the east coast of Tarawa. Two explosions were heard by ground crews in Tarawa after they hit the water. The entire crew died in this crash.
The entire crews remains were recovered and they were all interred in the Marine Cemetery #33 in Tarawa.
Only two of the crew members remains, 2nd Lt. Dabrowski & S/Sgt Myers, were later located after the war and eventually returned to the families for burial in the late 1940's.
In 2017 History Flight, Inc. uncovered a series of coffin burials from Cemetery #33, which were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis. On Dec. 20, 2018, one set of remains was identified as U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Carl M. Shaffer and his remains were interred in the Highland Memorial Park, Pottstown, PA.
In January, 2019 the remains of 1st Lt. Lurcott were recovered and his remains were interred in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
The remains of the other 6 have not been recovered.
John was declared " Missing In Action " in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 33064378
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-72999:
Alenier, Stanley J. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY ~ "MIA"
Dabrowski, Stephen J. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NJ
Fenzel, John F. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MD ~ "MIA"
Johnson, George M. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, DE ~ "MIA"
Lurcott, Howard T. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MO
Myers, Arthur E. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Polzien, Donald L. ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, IA ~ "MIA"
Rothman, Howard ~ Sgt, Radar Operator, NJ ~ "MIA"
Shaffer, Carl M. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Shell, James W. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, GA ~ "MIA"
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
John served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-72999, 819th Bomber Squadron, 30th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Baltimore, Maryland prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on July 15, 1941, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a sheet metal worker and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-72999 took off, with a crew of 10, from the Tarawa Airfield on a bombing mission over Roi Island. Possibly due to engine trouble, they crash about 15 minutes after takeoff approximately 3 miles off the east coast of Tarawa. Two explosions were heard by ground crews in Tarawa after they hit the water. The entire crew died in this crash.
The entire crews remains were recovered and they were all interred in the Marine Cemetery #33 in Tarawa.
Only two of the crew members remains, 2nd Lt. Dabrowski & S/Sgt Myers, were later located after the war and eventually returned to the families for burial in the late 1940's.
In 2017 History Flight, Inc. uncovered a series of coffin burials from Cemetery #33, which were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis. On Dec. 20, 2018, one set of remains was identified as U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Carl M. Shaffer and his remains were interred in the Highland Memorial Park, Pottstown, PA.
In January, 2019 the remains of 1st Lt. Lurcott were recovered and his remains were interred in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
The remains of the other 6 have not been recovered.
John was declared " Missing In Action " in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 33064378
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-72999:
Alenier, Stanley J. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY ~ "MIA"
Dabrowski, Stephen J. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NJ
Fenzel, John F. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MD ~ "MIA"
Johnson, George M. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, DE ~ "MIA"
Lurcott, Howard T. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MO
Myers, Arthur E. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Polzien, Donald L. ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, IA ~ "MIA"
Rothman, Howard ~ Sgt, Radar Operator, NJ ~ "MIA"
Shaffer, Carl M. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Shell, James W. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, GA ~ "MIA"
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Baltimore, Maryland prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on July 15, 1941, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a sheet metal worker and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-72999 took off, with a crew of 10, from the Tarawa Airfield on a bombing mission over Roi Island. Possibly due to engine trouble, they crash about 15 minutes after takeoff approximately 3 miles off the east coast of Tarawa. Two explosions were heard by ground crews in Tarawa after they hit the water. The entire crew died in this crash.
The entire crews remains were recovered and they were all interred in the Marine Cemetery #33 in Tarawa.
Only two of the crew members remains, 2nd Lt. Dabrowski & S/Sgt Myers, were later located after the war and eventually returned to the families for burial in the late 1940's.
In 2017 History Flight, Inc. uncovered a series of coffin burials from Cemetery #33, which were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis. On Dec. 20, 2018, one set of remains was identified as U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Carl M. Shaffer and his remains were interred in the Highland Memorial Park, Pottstown, PA.
In January, 2019 the remains of 1st Lt. Lurcott were recovered and his remains were interred in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
The remains of the other 6 have not been recovered.
John was declared " Missing In Action " in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 33064378
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-72999:
Alenier, Stanley J. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY ~ "MIA"
Dabrowski, Stephen J. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NJ
Fenzel, John F. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MD ~ "MIA"
Johnson, George M. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, DE ~ "MIA"
Lurcott, Howard T. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MO
Myers, Arthur E. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Polzien, Donald L. ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, IA ~ "MIA"
Rothman, Howard ~ Sgt, Radar Operator, NJ ~ "MIA"
Shaffer, Carl M. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Shell, James W. ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, GA ~ "MIA"
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Maryland.
Family Members
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