Donald served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24D #42-41155, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war.
B-24D #42-41155 took off, with a crew of 10, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission to attacking shipping off New Ireland Island, Papua New Guinea.
They were attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled the #1 & #2 engines and they eventually had to make a crash landing into the sea off New Ireland Island.
Donald was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash landing during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.
Service # 37451481
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-41155:
Cutway, Willis M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Eagan, Charles M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Esposito, Francesco ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McMillan, Meredith M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, TX
Sullivan, Donald E ~ Sgt, Gunner, NY
Wilson, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
2nd Lt. Robert M. Pandzic (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Gerald Millar (Engineer), and S/Sgt. Robert B. Carpenter (Gunner) all survived the crash and were later picked up and returned to base.
2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier) just a month later was serving as the Bombardier on B-24D #41-24186. This B-24 was shot down and he became a POW of the Japanese Army. He was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152. He was "Executed" in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war.
B-24D #42-41155 took off, with a crew of 10, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission to attacking shipping off New Ireland Island, Papua New Guinea.
They were attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled the #1 & #2 engines and they eventually had to make a crash landing into the sea off New Ireland Island.
Donald was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash landing during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.
Service # 37451481
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-41155:
Cutway, Willis M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Eagan, Charles M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Esposito, Francesco ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McMillan, Meredith M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, TX
Sullivan, Donald E ~ Sgt, Gunner, NY
Wilson, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
2nd Lt. Robert M. Pandzic (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Gerald Millar (Engineer), and S/Sgt. Robert B. Carpenter (Gunner) all survived the crash and were later picked up and returned to base.
2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier) just a month later was serving as the Bombardier on B-24D #41-24186. This B-24 was shot down and he became a POW of the Japanese Army. He was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152. He was "Executed" in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donald served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24D #42-41155, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war.
B-24D #42-41155 took off, with a crew of 10, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission to attacking shipping off New Ireland Island, Papua New Guinea.
They were attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled the #1 & #2 engines and they eventually had to make a crash landing into the sea off New Ireland Island.
Donald was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash landing during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.
Service # 37451481
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-41155:
Cutway, Willis M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Eagan, Charles M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Esposito, Francesco ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McMillan, Meredith M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, TX
Sullivan, Donald E ~ Sgt, Gunner, NY
Wilson, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
2nd Lt. Robert M. Pandzic (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Gerald Millar (Engineer), and S/Sgt. Robert B. Carpenter (Gunner) all survived the crash and were later picked up and returned to base.
2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier) just a month later was serving as the Bombardier on B-24D #41-24186. This B-24 was shot down and he became a POW of the Japanese Army. He was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152. He was "Executed" in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war.
B-24D #42-41155 took off, with a crew of 10, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission to attacking shipping off New Ireland Island, Papua New Guinea.
They were attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled the #1 & #2 engines and they eventually had to make a crash landing into the sea off New Ireland Island.
Donald was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash landing during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.
Service # 37451481
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-41155:
Cutway, Willis M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Eagan, Charles M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Esposito, Francesco ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McMillan, Meredith M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, TX
Sullivan, Donald E ~ Sgt, Gunner, NY
Wilson, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
2nd Lt. Robert M. Pandzic (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Gerald Millar (Engineer), and S/Sgt. Robert B. Carpenter (Gunner) all survived the crash and were later picked up and returned to base.
2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier) just a month later was serving as the Bombardier on B-24D #41-24186. This B-24 was shot down and he became a POW of the Japanese Army. He was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152. He was "Executed" in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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