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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USMC MAW-1 MAG-61 VMB-443 "Wildcats" |
Pilot 1st Lt. Charles W. Sieben, O-029485 (MIA / KIA) Great Falls, MT Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. John James Zelmer, O-038678 (MIA / KIA) MI Crew SSgt Arthur C. Thielen, 457617 (MIA / KIA) NB Crew Cpl Bernard F. Banker, 402422 (MIA / KIA) ME Crew Sgt Frederick J. Seitz, 805785 (MIA / KIA) Erie County, NY Crew TSgt Paul Junior Rogers, 806282 (MIA / KIA) Warren, PA Crew TSgt Clarence H. Post, 443718 (MIA / KIA) Kingston, NY Crew TSgt James Henry Mons, 419274 (MIA / KIA) Cohoes, NY MIA August 6, 1945 Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA). Constructors Number 100-20690. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-25D-25 Mitchell serial number 42-87197. Assigned to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PBJ-1D Mitchell bureau number 35114. Wartime History Assigned to U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) to Marine Air Wing 1 (MAW-1), Marine Air Group 61 (MAG-61), Marine Bombing Squadron 443 (VMB-443) "Wildcats" . No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On August 6, 1945 took off from Palmyra Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Charles W. Sieben and soon afterwards crashed into the sea near Palmyra Island. The entire crew was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. As the flight was non-combat, none of the crew earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. All are memorialized at Honolulu Cemetery (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, panel 4. Sieben also has a memorial marker at Highland Cemetery in Great Falls, Montana at monument section 11. Thielen also has a memorial marker at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR at section MA, site 19. Relatives Mark A. Murry (nephew of Frederick J Seitz) "I have just found documents which prove that this plane did not go down in 1943, but in 1945. The documents are in the form of personal letters with postmarks from my Uncle Frederick J Seitz to my mother. They are dated as late as June 1945." References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-25D-25 Mitchell 42-87197 "87197 to USN as PBJ-1D" Navy Serial Number Search Results - PBJ-1D Mitchell 35114 "35114 (VMB-433) crashed at sea near Palmyra Island 8/6/1943 [sic 1945]. 9 killed." USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List August 1945 - PBJ-1D Mitchell 35114 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles W. Sieben FindAGrave - 1Lt Charles W Sieben (photo, courts of the missing) FindAGrave - Lieut Charles W Sieben (photo, memorial marker) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John James Zelmer FindAGrave - 2Lt John James Zelmer (photo, courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Arthur C. Thielen FindAGrave - SSgt Arthur C Thielen (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Arthur C Thielen (news, photo, memorial marker grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Bernard F. Banker FindAGrave - Corp Bernard Francis Banker (courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frederick J. Seitz FindAGrave - Sgt Frederick J Seitz (photos, courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Paul Junior Rogers FindAGrave - TSgt Paul Junior Rogers (photo, courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Clarence H. Post FindAGrave - TSgt Clarence H Post (photo, courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James Henry Mons FindAGrave - TSgt James Henry Mons (courts of the missing photo) Thanks to Mark A. Murry 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 July 31, 2023 |
 PBJ  MIA 8 Missing |
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