World War II Honoree

John William Beyers

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Evansville, Indiana

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS ON 30 JANUARY 1943 AT EVANSVILLE, INDIANA. COMPLETED RADIO OPERATOR TRAINING AND UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT FAIRMONT ARMY AIR FIELD, NEBRASKA. ON 23 DECEMBER 1944, HE DEPLOYED TO THE PACIFIC THEATERS OF OPERATION AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 313TH BOMBARDMENT WING, 504TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VH), 398TH BOMB SQUADRON; BEING STATIONED AT NORTH FIELD, ON TINIAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 15 FEBRUARY 1945, HE FLEW AS THE RADIO OPERATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS 'CORAL QUEEN' SERIAL #42-63499. 504TH BOMB GROUP AIRCRAFT WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED BY AN 'E' INSIDE A CIRCLE PAINTED ON THE TAIL. IT WAS ONE OF 117 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-WING GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT ENGINE PLANT AT NAGOYA, JAPAN. ON THE RETURN ROUTE BACK TO NORTH FIELD, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS FORCED TO DITCH, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF THE AIRCREW. LAST RADIO CONTACT WAS AT A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF: 23 DEGREES 00 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 144 DEGREES 20 MINUTES EAST LONGITUDE (APPROXIMATELY 570 MILES NORTH OF TINIAN).