USAAF
5th AF
312th
BG
389th BS
Pilot 2nd Lt. Valerie L. Pollard, O-749490 (MIA/KIA)
Gunner Sgt. Dominic J. Licari (MIA)
Crashed March 13, 1944
MACR 5889
Pilot History
Pollard was lost on his first mission.
Mission History
This aircraft, and a group of A-20's were lost after a mission to Alexishafen.
The planes were low on fuel and were following Ken Hedges in bad
weather, looking for the only passage in the mountains to get back
to their base at Gusap.
In the afternoon, this aircraft and two other A-20s slammed into
a mountainside in the Finisterre
Range. Col.
Strauss (312th
BG Commanding Officer)
in 1985 Strauss reefer to the loss of those six boys "a damned waste",
he always felt responsible. Also lost was A-20G
42-54085 and A-20G 42-54117.
Discovery & MIA
Recovery
Discovered of the badly smashed wreckage at 9,500' 15 miles
south of Saidor area. Visited by US
Army CILHI in September 1983, but
no remains were recovered. They visited again on August
22,
1990.
References
Thanks to Rick Young for additional information
A-20
MIA
