World War II Honoree

Joseph Pegter Nighan

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

North Catasauqua, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR FORCES ON 17 APRIL 1943 AT ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. 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, 882ND BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 3 JANUARY 1945, HE FLEW AS THE RADIO OPERATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS, NICKNAMED 'THE LEADING LADY' (SERIAL # 42-24766) TAIL CODE: Z-SQUARE-22. 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. ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER BOMBS AWAY, HIS AIRCRAFT EXCHANGED GUNNERY FIRE WITH AN ATTACKING KAWASAKI KI-61 HIEN 'TONY' FIGHTER PLANE. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY THE 'TONY' BETWEEN THE NOSE FUSELAGE AND THE #3 ENGINE. HE WAS KILLED WHEN HIS DISABLED AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND BURNED ABOUT 30 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF NAGOYA, IN SODAME FOREST NEAR THE VILLAGE OF MATSUDAIRA.