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| USAAF 5th AF 71st TRG 82nd TRS  82nd TRS 1944  Frank Egembari 1999 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Maryan J. Zaleski, O-662716 (KIA, BR) Detroit, MI Crashed March 6, 1944 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-39Q-5-BE Airacobra serial number 42-19939. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and reassembled. Wartime History On November 24, 1943 assigned 5th Air Force (5th AF), 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group (71st TRG), 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (82nd TRS) "The Strafin' Saints". No known nose art or nickname. Mission History On March 6, 1944 took off from Horanda Airfield (Dobodura 4) near Dobodura piloted by 1st Lt. Maryan J. Zaleski and while buzzing the runway crashed into the jungle roughly a mile to the northwest, killing the pilot on impact. Another report says this P-39 crashed near Popondetta. The cause of the crash was unknown. Recovery of Remains The next day, Zaleski's body was recovered from the crash site and buried at Soputa Cemetery. Postwar, his remains were transported to the United States for permanent burial. Memorials Zaleski was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He earned the earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Air Medal. On July 1, 1948 he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery at section 12 site 4646. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Maryan J. Zaleski USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-39Q-5-BE Airacobra 42-19939 PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-39Q Airacobra 42-19939 Missing In Action according to US Army CILHI list circa 1990s, page 11 (incorrectly listed as MIA) FindAGrave - 1LT Maryan J Zaleski (grave photos) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Maryan J Zaleski (grave photos) M/Sgt. W. E. Ursprung Jounral "March 6 - Lt. Zaleski (Zero Zeke) crashed into the jungle while buzzing our engineering section March 7 - Lt. Zaleski buried. I was member of firing squad." Rocky Boyer's War: An Unvarnished History of the Air Blitz that Won the War in the Southwest Pacific (2017) by Allen D. Boyer Facebook - Rocky Boyer's War March 6, 2022 by Allen D. Boyer "On March 6, 1944, a pilot who had flown 300 combat hours and was due to rotate home, died at the far end of Horanda Airstrip, the fighter area at Dobodura. This was First Lieutenant Maryan J. Zaleski, of the 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron." MLive "‘He was a fighter pilot’: Discovering lost family history a worthy journey" by Christofer Machniak May 28, 2022 Thanks to Frank Egembari, John Douglas and Allen D. Boyer for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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