World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Daniel F. Hentscher
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Kirkwood, Missouri
Honored By
A Grateful American
STAFF SERGEANT, B-24 LIBERATOR, 321ST SQUADRON (BOMBS AWAY), 90TH BOMB GROUP 'JOLLY ROGERS', 5TH AIR FORCE, SERVING IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. MEMBER OF CLIFFORD WATLEY CREW. ON JULY 31, 1944, THE 321ST AND 400TH SQUADRONS WERE TO RAID BABO, BUT DUE TO WEATHER, THEY TURNED AND HEADED TOWARD MOEMI. HIS PLANE WAS LATE TAKING OFF AND SO JOINED THE 400TH TO FLY OVER TARGET. WHEN THEY WERE ABOVE THE AIRFIELD THEY RAN INTO HEAVY GROUND FIRE AND HIS PLANE WAS HIT, KNOCKING OUT TWO ENGINES. THEY HEADED TOWARD KAMIRI AIRDROME. LOSING ALTITUDE A BOAT WAS SPOTTED NEAR NOEMFOOR AND THEY DECIDED TO PUT THE PLANE DOWN NEAR THE BOAT. IT HIT A LARGE WAVE AND EXPLODED. HE WAS ONE OF THREE WHO SURVIVED THE CRASH AND WAS RESCUED BY THE MEN FROM THE BOAT.