World War II Honoree

James W. Babcock

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Burbank, California

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 1 MARCH 1940 AT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. COMPLETED AERIAL GUNNERY TRAINING AND CENTRAL FIRE CONTROL SCHOOL. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 499TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VERY HEAVY), 877TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 9 JANUARY 1945, HE FLEW AS AN AERIAL GUNNER IN THE PORT SCANNER BLISTER STATION ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS, NICKNAMED 'SATAN’S SISTER' (SERIAL #42-24665) TAIL CODE V-SQUARE-4. IT WAS ONE OF 72 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE MUSASHINO AIRCRAFT WORKS AND NAKAJIMA AIRCRAFT ENGINE FACTORY NEAR TOKYO, JAPAN. THE FORMATION ENCOUNTERED EXTREMELY BAD WEATHER EN ROUTE TO THE TARGET AND WAS BROKEN UP BY HIGH WINDS. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS HIT BY FLAK FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY AND WAS FORCED TO DITCH IN THE OCEAN APPROXIMATELY 640 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF TOKYO. LAST RADIO CONTACT WAS AT A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF 30 DEGREES NORTH AND 141 DEGREES EAST. NO SURVIVORS WERE EVER FOUND, AND HE WAS DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION ONE YEAR LATER.