World War II Honoree

Jessie M. Hatch

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Gary Farwell

Relationship

Friend

He entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Pittsburg on 11 February 1943. After initial and advanced training he was assigned as a crew member on a B-24J operating out of Castelluccio Army Air Field (Foggia Complex) in Southern Italy, 15th Air Force, 451st Bombardment Group, 725th Squadron. On 7 February 1945 while on a mission to bomb an oil refinery, another B-24 in the formation was hit by flack, lost control and crashed into his B-24. Both aircraft went down in flames over Vienna, Austria. He was the nose turret gunner and was killed. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, the Air Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and WWII Victory Medal. He was also authorized to wear the Army Air Forces Aerial Gunner Badge or the Aircrew Badge. He was initially listed as Missing in Action and finally listed as Killed in Action on 22 February 1949 when the crew remains were identified.