World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Remick Wallace
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Honored By
Sam E. Pennartz
ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 29 AUGUST 1942 AT BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT WALKER ARMY AIRFIELD, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATRE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XX BOMBER COMMAND, 58TH BOMB WING, 462ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP 'HELLBIRDS', 768TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT PIARDOBA AIRFIELD IN SOUTHERN BENGAL, INDIA. AS PART OF OPERATION MATTERHORN TO BOMB JAPAN, HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN RANGE AND LOGISTICALLY STAGED A BOMBING MISSION THROUGH KIUNGLAI AIRFIELD (A-5) NEAR CHENGDU, CHINA. ON 20 AUGUST 1944, HE FLEW AS THE RADIO OPERATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS (SERIAL # 42-24474). IT WAS ONE OF 75 AIRCRAFT IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION ON A MISSION TO BOMBARD THE IMPERIAL IRON AND STEEL WORKS AT YAWATA, JAPAN. DURING THE BOMB RUN OVER THE TARGET, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS HIT WITH FLAK FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY. AFTER BOMBS AWAY, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED FOR HOME AND WAS ATTACKED BY A BAND OF KAWASAKI KI-45 'NICK' AND NAKAJIMA KI-84 'FRANK' FIGHTER PLANES. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIT WITH AN ENEMY AIR-TO-AIR INCENDIARY BOMB, CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND STARTING A FIRE IN THE MID-DECK STATION. THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN OVER IKI ISLAND IN THE KOREA STRAIT. UNABLE TO BAIL OUT, HE WAS KILLED IN THE CRASH.