World War II Honoree

Albert Stephen Grula

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Munhall, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 9 OCTOBER 1943 AT PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL 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 AN AERIAL GUNNER IN THE STARBOARD SCANNER BLISTER STATION 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. HE BAILED OUT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 17,000 FEET. THEN THE #3 PROPELLER WENT INTO RUN-AWAY OVER-SPEED AND HAD TO BE FEATHERED. WITH ONLY TWO ENGINES REMAINING, 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 AND PICKED UP THE SURVIVORS. SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS OFFICIALLY ENDED AT NIGHT-FALL ON 10 NOVEMBER 1944.