World War II Honoree

Joseph Simpson Amos, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Aiken, South Carolina

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE ARMY QUARTERMASTER CORPS ON 3 JANUARY 1941 AT FORT JACKSON NEAR COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. GRADUATED FROM AVIATION CADET PILOT TRAINING SCHOOL AND WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT WALKER ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR VICTORIA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 500TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 883RD BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 3 JANUARY 1945, HE FLEW IN THE LEFT SEAT AS THE AIRPLANE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS, NICKNAMED 'MILLION DOLLAR BABY' (SERIAL # 42-24660) TAIL CODE: Z-SQUARE-48. IT WAS ONE OF 97 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE PORT FACILITIES AND URBAN AREAS OF NAGOYA, JAPAN. FLAK FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY WAS MEAGER, AND ENEMY FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ATTACKS WERE DESCRIBED AS MODERATE, WITH 346 PASSES REPORTED. AFTER BOMBS AWAY, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS ATTACKED BY A FIGHTER PLANE AND SUFFERED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. HE WAS KILLED WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT WAS FORCED TO DITCH IN ROUGH SEAS ABOUT 200 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF THE VOLCANIC ISLAND OF TORISHIMA (BIRD ISLAND). SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS SPOTTED LIFE RAFTS NEAR TORISHIMA, AND GUIDED A U.S. NAVY SUBMARINE TO WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE LOCATION, BUT WERE UNABLE TO AFFECT A RESCUE.