World War II Honoree

James A. Freda

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Canton, Ohio

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS NOVEMBER 10, 1942 AT FORT HAYES COLUMBUS, OHIO. SERVED AS A DOUGLAS C-47 ‘SKYTRAIN’ TRANSPORT RADIO OPERATOR ASSIGNED TO THE 100TH TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON, 441ST TROOP CARRIER GROUP, IX TROOP CARRIER COMMAND, A COMPONENT UNIT OF THE 9TH AIR FORCE. HE WAS STATIONED AT THE ROYAL AIR FORCE STATION MERRYFIELD, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #464, ENGLAND. KILLED IN ACTION IN THE EARLY, MORNING HOURS, AT 01:40 ON D-DAY, TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944 IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY. THIS WAS THE INVASION OF GERMAN’S FORTRESS EUROPE, CODE NAME: OPERATION OVERLORD. HE DIED ALONG WITH 3 OTHER AIR CREWMEMBERS AND 1 PARATROOPER, ASSIGNED TO C-COMPANY, 326TH AIRBORNE ENGINEER BATTALION, 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION. THE AIRCRAFT WITH 15 PARATROOPERS ON BOARD HAD BEEN HIT BY CONCENTRATED ENEMY GROUND FIRE AND WAS IN FLAMES DURING ITS APPROACH TO DROP ZONE-D LOCATED NEAR ANGOVILLE-AU-PLAIN ON THE FRENCH COTENTIN PENINSULA. ALL OF THE PARATROOPERS WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE TRANSPORT, EXCEPT FOR THE ONE TROOPER, WHO HAD BEEN FATALLY WOUNDED FROM SHRAPNEL BEFORE IT CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF CARENTAN. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO OHIO, WITH INTERMENT IN ST PETER’S CEMETERY, CANTON, OHIO.