World War II Honoree

Aaron Pinkus

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 5 FEBRUARY 1942 AT CAMP BLANDING NEAR STARKE, FLORIDA. SERVED AS A SPECIAL RADIO OFFICER TRAINED ON RADIO DETECTION, AZIMUTH AND RANGE (RADAR) IN THE MILITARY OCCUPATION SPECIALTY RCM-7888 DESIGNATION. ASSIGNED TO THE 21ST BOMBARDMENT MAINTENANCE SQUADRON AND UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TRAINING AT GREAT BEND ARMY AIR FIELD, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 498TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 873RD BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 8 NOVEMBER 1944, HE FLEW AS THE RADAR COUNTER-MEASURES OPERATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS, TAIL CODE T-SQUARE-8 (SERIAL # 42-24645). IT WAS ONE OF 17 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD JAPANESE FORCES OCCUPYING THE TWO AIRFIELDS ON IWO JIMA IN THE BONIN ISLANDS OF JAPAN. ABOUT 200 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE TARGET AREA, THE # 1 ENGINE DEVELOPED AN INTENSE FIRE AND BURNED OFF ALONG WITH THE ENGINE MOUNT. THEN THE # 3 PROPELLER WENT INTO RUN-AWAY OVER-SPEED AND HAD TO BE FEATHERED. HE WAS KILLED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS FORCED TO DITCH IN ROUGH SEAS. LAST CONTACT BY RADIO WAS WITH AN AIR-SEA RESCUE 'DUMBO AIRCRAFT'; GIVING GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AS 21 DEGREES NORTH AND 141 DEGREES EAST. THE DESTROYER USS GRAYSON ARRIVED AT THE CRASH AREA THE FOLLOWING MORNING. SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS OFFICIALLY ENDED AT NIGHT-FALL ON 10 NOVEMBER 1944.