World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
John J. Peterson
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Middlesex County, New Jersey
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
RANK: STAFF SERGEANT. HE WAS A B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER WAIST GUNNER WHO SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. SERVED WITH THE 8TH AIR FORCE ‘MIGHTY EIGHTH’ 390 BOMB GROUP, 571ST BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT FARMINGTON, SUFFOLK, ENGLAND, USAAF STATION #153. ON HIS NINTH COMBAT MISSION, HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1943 DURING A BOMBING RAID OVER BORDEAUX, FRANCE. WHILE RETURNING TO BASE, HIS FLYING FORTRESS, NICKNAMED: ‘ASCENT CHARLIE’ CRASHED IN THE BLACK MOUNTAINS IN WALES. HE IS BURIED AT THE CAMBRIDGE AMERICAN CEMETERY, CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL AND THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL.