World War II Honoree

Wilson Callerman Currier, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED AS AN AVIATION CADET IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS ON 17 MARCH 1941 AT SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. COMPLETED BASIC AND PRELIMINARY FLIGHT TRAINING ON 16 AUGUST 1941 AT RANDOLPH FIELD, TEXAS. GRADUATED FROM PILOT CLASS 41-H ON 31 OCTOBER 1941 AT KELLY FIELD NEAR SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. AFTER RECEIVING HIS WINGS HE WAS ASSIGNED AS AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT AT GOODFELLOW FIELD NEAR SAN ANGELO, TEXAS. HE ALSO QUALIFIED AS AN ARMY GLIDER PILOT AND WAS AWARDED A GLIDING AND SOARING 'C' CERTIFICATE #562 ISSUED ON 30 MARCH 1942 AT CONDOR FIELD NEAR TWENTY-NINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA. HIS NEXT ASSIGNMENT WAS AT DALHART FIELD IN TEXAS, WHERE HE WAS A SUPERVISOR AT THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES ADVANCED FLYING SCHOOL. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT GREAT BEND ARMY AIR FIELD IN KANSAS. HE DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 498TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 873RD BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON SUNDAY 1 APRIL 1945, HE FLEW IN THE LEFT SEAT AS THE AIRPLANE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29-40-BW SUPERFORTRESS, SERIAL #42-24614 NICKNAMED 'JOLTIN’ JOSIE, THE PACIFIC PIONEER' (TAIL CODE: T-SQUARE-5). IT WAS ONE OF 121 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION ON A MISSION TO BOMBARD THE MUSASHINO AIRCRAFT ENGINE FACTORY (TARGET #357) NEAR TOKYO, JAPAN. HIS AIRCRAFT TOOK-OFF AT 2100 HOURS LOCAL WITH AN INTENDED COURSE HEADING OF 339 DEGREES ON THE PLANNED 15-HOUR ROUND-TRIP MISSION. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF, FUMES IN THE COCKPIT WERE REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT BURST INTO FLAMES AND CRASHED WITH A LARGE EXPLOSION ABOUT 300 YARDS OFFSHORE INTO MAGICIENNE BAY ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF SAIPAN. A COAST GUARD VESSEL WAS DISPATCHED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, BUT UPON REACHING THE BURNING AIRCRAFT, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY SURVIVORS. ALL 12 AIRCREW MEMBERS WERE OFFICIALLY LISTED AS KILLED-IN-ACTION ON 3 APRIL 1945.