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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USAAF 7th AF 11th BG 26th BS  USAAF 1942 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Rush E. McDonald, O-417028 (MIA / KIA) TN Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. John J. Heard, Jr., O-433843 (MIA / KIA) TX Bombardier Cpl Joseph H. Wood, 6932097 (MIA / KIA) Fillmore County, MN Navigator 2nd Lt. Homer W. Vail, O-433013 (MIA / KIA) MN Engineer Sgt William L. Hammack, 6983892 (MIA / KIA) IN Asst Engineer Sgt Richard C. Inman, 6933768 (MIA / KIA) NB Radio Cpl Leroy Payne, 6923702 (MIA / KIA) AL Gunner SSgt James E. Briggs, 6151603 (MIA / KIA) MA Gunner SSgt Daniel L. Cross, 6977309 (MIA / KIA) Bombay, NY Crashed August 4, 1942 MACR 16119 Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle. Constructors Number 2690. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-17E Flying Fortress serial number 41-9218. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to the South Pacific (SOPAC). Wartime History Assigned to the 7th Air Force (7th AF), 11th Bombardment Group (11th BG), 26th Bombardment Squadron (26th BS). No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On August 4, 1942 took off from Bomber 1 on Espiritu Santo piloted by 1st Lt. Rush E. McDonald as one of nine B-17s flying in three flights on a bombing mission against Tulagi. Over the target, intercepted by seven A6M2-N Rufe from Yokohama Kōkūtai under the command of Lt. Riichiro Sato. B-17 gunners claimed one shot down another damaged and on fire that collided with the bomber over the Sealark Channel. Both aircraft crash into the sea with no survivors. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). This B-17 was the first aerial combat casualty of the Guadalcanal campaign. Memorials The entire crew were officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. McDonald earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Heard earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. Wood earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Highland Cemetery in Iola, Kansas. Vail earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. Hammack earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Deer Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Tell City, IN. Inman earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. Payne earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. Briggs earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. Cross earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Hillside Rest Cemetery in Franklin County NY. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-17E Flying Fortress 41-9218 "9218 (26th BS) lost Aug 4, 1942 in raid on Guadalcanal. All crew killed." Missing Air Crew Report 16119 (MACR 16119) created retroactively circa 1945–1946 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Rush E. McDonald American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John J. Heard Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Joseph H. Wood American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Homer W. Vail American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William L. Hammack American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Richard C. Inman American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Leroy Payne American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James E. Briggs American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Daniel L. Cross FindAGrave -1Lt Rush E McDonald (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt John J Heard, Jr (photos, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Corp Joseph Henry Wood (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Corp Joseph Henry Wood (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Homer W Vail (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Sgt William L Hammack (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt William L Hammack (news, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Richard C Inman (news, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Corp Leroy Payne (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt James E Briggs (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Daniel L Cross (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Daniel L. Cross (photo, memorial marker photo) Fortress Against The Sun (2001) pages 231-232, 390, 426 The First Solomons Air Campaign (2024) by Richard L. Dunn "A stricken fighter crashed into B-17E No. 41-9216 piloted by 1Lt. Rush McDonald and both aircraft fell into the sea in flames, the only loss from each side." Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 19, 2021
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