World War II Honoree

Joseph Pilcher Baird

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Prescott, Arizona

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED AS AN AVIATION CADET IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS. COMPLETED PRE-FLIGHT TRAINING AT SANTA ANA ARMY AIR BASE, CALIFORNIA. GRADUATED FROM Advanced FLIGHT TRAINING AND WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT. SELECTED TO COMMAND 'CREW A-2' DURING B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT PRATT 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, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 869TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 9 JANUARY 1945, HE FLEW IN THE LEFT SEAT AS THE AIRPLANE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS (SERIAL #42-24772) TAIL CODE A-SQUARE-14. 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. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA AT 30,000 FEET, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS ATTACKED BY TWO NAKAJIMA KI-44 'TOJO' FIGHTER PLANES FROM THE 12 O’CLOCK HIGH POSITION. HIS #1 ENGINE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY GUNFIRE, SETTING THE LEFT WING ON FIRE. LAST VISUAL SIGHTING WAS BY HIS WINGMAN AT A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF 35 DEGREES +30 MINUTES NORTH AND 138 DEGREES +50 MINUTES EAST, AS IT DISAPPEARED INTO CLOUD COVER AT 27,000 FEET. HE WAS KILLED WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND BURNED IN A FIELD ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOKYO.