World War II Honoree

Jerome C. Nawracaj

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Somerset, New Jersey

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Staff Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Army July 31, 1942 at Newark, New Jersey. 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 Left Waist Gunner, assigned to the 339th 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. ¬Wednesday, October 20, 1943 he was killed in action on a bomb run to Aachen Germany. En-route to the target, his bomber was shot-down by German Fighters, crashing near Hensies, Belgium. His body was found by Belgian civilians, and was buried in the Chièvres communal cemetery Ath, Belgium. 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.