World War II Honoree

Algy Stanley Augunas

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Bay Shore, New York

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

DURING THE NIGHT OF 16-17 MARCH 1945, HE FLEW AS THE RADIO OPERATOR ABOARD BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS SERIAL #42-24849 NICKNAMED 'MISSION TO ALBUQUERQUE' TAIL CODE Z-SQUARE-8, OF THE 881ST BOMB SQUADRON, 500TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VH), 73RD BOMB WING, 20TH AIR FORCE STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. IT WAS ONE OF 307 B-29 AIRCRAFT DISPATCHED FROM THE XXI BOMBER COMMAND TO BOMBARD THE URBAN AREA OF KOBE, JAPAN. Z-SQ-8 WAS UNINTENTIONALLY RAMMED BY A KAWASAKI Ki-61 Hien 'Tony' FIGHTER OVER THE TARGET AREA ABOUT TWO MILES NORTH OF KOBE. HE SURVIVED, BUT WAS TAKEN PRISONER. HELD FOR FOUR MONTHS BY THE KEMPEITAI, THEN GIVEN A PERFUNCTORY TRIAL AND EXECUTED ON 18 JULY 1945 AT YOKOYAMA NEAR OSAKA, JAPAN.