World War II Honoree

John Richard Hartsock

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Altoona, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 21 JANUARY 1941 AT ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA. COMPLETED AERIAL NAVIGATION SCHOOL AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. GRADUATED FROM BOMBARDIER SCHOOL IN 1943. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRES OF OPERATION AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 499TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 878TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 18 DECEMBER 1944, HE FLEW AS THE NAVIGATOR-BOMBARDIER ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS, TAIL CODE V-SQUARE-24 (SERIAL #42-24773). IT WAS ONE OF 89 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPANY AND AIRCRAFT ENGINE PLANTS NEAR NAGOYA, JAPAN. FLAK FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY WAS MEAGER AND JAPANESE FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ATTACKS WERE DESCRIBED AS MODERATE. HOWEVER, HIS AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED APPROXIMATELY 30 FIGHTER ATTACKS AND WENT INTO A STEEP WING OVER TO THE LEFT DIVE, WITH FLAMES COMING FROM THE FORWARD BOMB BAY AREA AND SMOKE TRAILING FROM THE #2 ENGINE. WHEN LAST SIGHTED, TWO ENEMY FIGHTER PLANES FOLLOWED HIS AIRCRAFT AS IT DESCENDED THROUGH THE CLOUD COVER AT 20,000 FEET. HE WAS DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION AFTER THE WAR ENDED.