Melvin served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on A-20G #43-9488, 675th Bomber Squadron, 417th Bomber Group, Light, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Marshall County, Kansas prior to the war.
Melvin was declared "Missing In Action" when his A-20, which took off from Saidor Airfield on a low level strike mission against Hollandia, ended up running out of fuel during severe weather and had to ditch approximately 35 miles northwest of Fischafen during the war.
He and was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 37225338
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on A-20G #43-9488:
Barr, Jack T ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Cope, Melvin G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, KS
The pilot of A-20G #43-9488, Lt. Michael Jovanovich, survived this flight. He was later promoted to Captain and was also later "Killed In Action" during the war.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
April 16, 1944 was known as "Black Sunday" for the Air Force. A total of "37" planes were destroyed or missing & another "9" were damaged due to the weather (severe thunderstorms).
" Click Here " for a listing of all Airmen lost on Black Sunday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio, crew report & listing by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Marshall County, Kansas prior to the war.
Melvin was declared "Missing In Action" when his A-20, which took off from Saidor Airfield on a low level strike mission against Hollandia, ended up running out of fuel during severe weather and had to ditch approximately 35 miles northwest of Fischafen during the war.
He and was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 37225338
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on A-20G #43-9488:
Barr, Jack T ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Cope, Melvin G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, KS
The pilot of A-20G #43-9488, Lt. Michael Jovanovich, survived this flight. He was later promoted to Captain and was also later "Killed In Action" during the war.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
April 16, 1944 was known as "Black Sunday" for the Air Force. A total of "37" planes were destroyed or missing & another "9" were damaged due to the weather (severe thunderstorms).
" Click Here " for a listing of all Airmen lost on Black Sunday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio, crew report & listing by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melvin served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on A-20G #43-9488, 675th Bomber Squadron, 417th Bomber Group, Light, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Marshall County, Kansas prior to the war.
Melvin was declared "Missing In Action" when his A-20, which took off from Saidor Airfield on a low level strike mission against Hollandia, ended up running out of fuel during severe weather and had to ditch approximately 35 miles northwest of Fischafen during the war.
He and was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 37225338
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on A-20G #43-9488:
Barr, Jack T ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Cope, Melvin G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, KS
The pilot of A-20G #43-9488, Lt. Michael Jovanovich, survived this flight. He was later promoted to Captain and was also later "Killed In Action" during the war.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
April 16, 1944 was known as "Black Sunday" for the Air Force. A total of "37" planes were destroyed or missing & another "9" were damaged due to the weather (severe thunderstorms).
" Click Here " for a listing of all Airmen lost on Black Sunday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio, crew report & listing by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Marshall County, Kansas prior to the war.
Melvin was declared "Missing In Action" when his A-20, which took off from Saidor Airfield on a low level strike mission against Hollandia, ended up running out of fuel during severe weather and had to ditch approximately 35 miles northwest of Fischafen during the war.
He and was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 37225338
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on A-20G #43-9488:
Barr, Jack T ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Cope, Melvin G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, KS
The pilot of A-20G #43-9488, Lt. Michael Jovanovich, survived this flight. He was later promoted to Captain and was also later "Killed In Action" during the war.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
April 16, 1944 was known as "Black Sunday" for the Air Force. A total of "37" planes were destroyed or missing & another "9" were damaged due to the weather (severe thunderstorms).
" Click Here " for a listing of all Airmen lost on Black Sunday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio, crew report & listing by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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