World War II Honoree

Andrew E. Coleman, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Somervlle, Massachusetts

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Staff Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Army December 3, 1942 at Boston, Massachusetts. Upon his graduation from recruit training, he was designated to attend the Flight Aviation Training Program. Following his Gunnery Training, he served as a B-17 ‘Flying-Fortress’ Bomber Ball Turret Gunner, assigned to the 337th Bomber Squadron, 96th Bomber Group, an element of the U.S. 8th Air Force ‘Mighty Eighth’ Army Air Forces. His unit was based at the Snetterton Royal Air Force Station Location: Heath, England. ¬Thursday, December 16, 1944 he was killed in action, on a bomb run to Bremen, Germany. After leaving the target area, his Flying-Fortress was shot-down by German Anti-Aircraft ground fire, crash landing at Kimewerd, Holland. Personnel from a Graves Registration Company buried him in the Margraten Battlefield Cemetery at Aachen, Holland. In the post-war era, this Airman’s family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at Netherlands American Cemetery Location: Margraten, Netherlands. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Air Medal and the Purple Heart. The Air Medal was awarded to the Sergeant for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight, and the Purple Heart for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.