Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 6, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Grandson of Victoria V. Garza who resided in Brownsville, Texas.
Manuel served as a Staff Sergeant & Engineer/Gunner on B-25D #41-30372, 500th Bomber Squadron, 345th Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Cameron County, Texas prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on May 15, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents.
B-25D #41-30372 was one of four B-25s that took off from Mokmer Airfield on Biak on a mission to search for enemy aircraft in MacCluer Gulf. While still in formation this B-25 developed engine trouble and had to turn back to base. They never arrived at the base and were assumed to have crashed into the sea.
Manuel was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 18105315
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-25D #41-30372:
Barlow, Elmer L ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Garza, Manuel J ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Kapitzki, William J ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CT
Mele, Joseph ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Myers, Roland F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS
Quinn, James N ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, WI
B-25H #43-4332 was also lost on this mission. For more see:
Miller, John ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NJ
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Grandson of Victoria V. Garza who resided in Brownsville, Texas.
Manuel served as a Staff Sergeant & Engineer/Gunner on B-25D #41-30372, 500th Bomber Squadron, 345th Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Cameron County, Texas prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on May 15, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents.
B-25D #41-30372 was one of four B-25s that took off from Mokmer Airfield on Biak on a mission to search for enemy aircraft in MacCluer Gulf. While still in formation this B-25 developed engine trouble and had to turn back to base. They never arrived at the base and were assumed to have crashed into the sea.
Manuel was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 18105315
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-25D #41-30372:
Barlow, Elmer L ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Garza, Manuel J ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Kapitzki, William J ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CT
Mele, Joseph ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Myers, Roland F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS
Quinn, James N ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, WI
B-25H #43-4332 was also lost on this mission. For more see:
Miller, John ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NJ
Bio & Crew Reports 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 February 6, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Grandson of Victoria V. Garza who resided in Brownsville, Texas.
Manuel served as a Staff Sergeant & Engineer/Gunner on B-25D #41-30372, 500th Bomber Squadron, 345th Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Cameron County, Texas prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on May 15, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents.
B-25D #41-30372 was one of four B-25s that took off from Mokmer Airfield on Biak on a mission to search for enemy aircraft in MacCluer Gulf. While still in formation this B-25 developed engine trouble and had to turn back to base. They never arrived at the base and were assumed to have crashed into the sea.
Manuel was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 18105315
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-25D #41-30372:
Barlow, Elmer L ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Garza, Manuel J ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Kapitzki, William J ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CT
Mele, Joseph ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Myers, Roland F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS
Quinn, James N ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, WI
B-25H #43-4332 was also lost on this mission. For more see:
Miller, John ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NJ
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Grandson of Victoria V. Garza who resided in Brownsville, Texas.
Manuel served as a Staff Sergeant & Engineer/Gunner on B-25D #41-30372, 500th Bomber Squadron, 345th Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Cameron County, Texas prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on May 15, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents.
B-25D #41-30372 was one of four B-25s that took off from Mokmer Airfield on Biak on a mission to search for enemy aircraft in MacCluer Gulf. While still in formation this B-25 developed engine trouble and had to turn back to base. They never arrived at the base and were assumed to have crashed into the sea.
Manuel was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 18105315
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-25D #41-30372:
Barlow, Elmer L ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Garza, Manuel J ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Kapitzki, William J ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CT
Mele, Joseph ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Myers, Roland F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS
Quinn, James N ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, WI
B-25H #43-4332 was also lost on this mission. For more see:
Miller, John ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NJ
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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