2nd Lt. Arthur Browngardt, Jr.
U.S. Army Air Force, 5th Air Force, 345th Bomb Group, 499th Bomb Squadron
Pilot B-25J "Sag Harbor Express" 43-36030 Killed In Action (KIA) January 7, 1945

Background
Arthur Daniel Browngardt, Jr. was born May 14, 1924 to parents Arthur Browngardt and Gladys (née Schwab) Browngardt in Sag Harbor, New York. He attended four years of high school and worked as an office clerk and resided in Queens County.

Wartime History
On September 21, 1942 enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as private with serial number 12122894 at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York. He attended basic training and entered active duty on March 3, 1943. Browngardt was selected to attend flight school and earned his wings. On January 7, 1944 commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with serial number O-764969. Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 345th Bombardment Group (345th BG), 499th Bombardment Squadron (499th BS). Assigned B-25J "Sag Harbor Express" 43-36030 that he named for his hometown of Sag Harbor, New York.

Mission History
On January 7, 1945 took off from Tacloban Airfield on Leyte piloting B-25J "Sag Harbor Express" 43-36030 on a low level bombing and strafing mission against Clark Field on Luzon. Over the target, pull up to avoid an A-20 cross cutting the formation and was hit by anti-aircraft fire in the right engine. Trailing smoke and loosing altitude, the left wing hit the roof of Holy Rosary Parish Church (Pisamban Maragul) in Angeles then crashed into the courtyard of the campus of Holy Angel Academy (Holy Angel University) and exploded and caught fire. On impact, both pilots were thrown clear of the bomber and landed 20 yards away strapped to their seats and knocked unconscious. The rest of the crew were killed in the crash. When this plane failed to return, it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA).

Fates of the Crew
After the crash, Japanese Army soldiers billeted nearby rushed to the crash site. Immediately, the Japanese found the two pilots and removed their seatbelt and harness and laid their bodies on the ground. One of the pilots died within a few minutes of the crash. The other pilot was taken to a military hospital but died enroute then returned to the crash site.

Recovery of Remains
When the fire subsided, the Japanese removed the bodies from the wreckage and placed them all side-by-side and removed their personal effects and placed them on their chests. All the bodies were badly mutilated from the crash and one was burned by the fire. The Japanese placed all the bodies side-by-side and removed their personal effects and placed them on their chest for inspection.

Afterwards, a Japanese officer summoned the parish priest, Father Cosme Bituin to perform last rites then saluted them and ordered them buried in a shallow grave near the crash. Several days later, Filipinos observed stray dogs at the grave and a terrible smell and Edmundo "Eddy" Santos age 13 who observed the crash from the church's north bell tower used a hoe to fix the grave.

During February 1945, after the U.S. Army liberated the area, a team from American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) visited the crash site and recovered the remains of the crew from a common grave. The remains were interred at the USAF Cemetery Culayo #1 near Clark Field as Unknowns (X-Files) X-1, X-2 and X-3. Later, they were again exhumed and transported to American Graves Registration Service Mausoleum (AGRS Mausoleum) No. 2 (Manila American Cemetery) for storage. Around that same time, airmen from 345th Bombardment Group (345th BG) visited the crash site that was scattered over an area of roughly 500' and took photos of the wreckage. They also visited the damaged church and donated money to repair the damaged roof.

During March 1945, another team from American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) visited the crash site and found another common grave a few yards away and recovered two more sets of remains that were designated as Unknowns (X-Files) X-16 and X-17 and cross referenced with the three previously recovered. X-16 and X-17 were transported to American Graves Registration Service Mausoleum (AGRS Mausoleum) No. 1 (Manila American Cemetery) for storage. After further investigation, X-16 was positively identified as Gilbert.

During March 1948, the remaining recovered remains were reprocessed by AGRS. In Manila, the unknown numbers (X-Files) from cemeteries were renumber as unknown numbers with a four digit code. X-17 redesignated X-4231 was identified as Hebel. X-3 was deemed to be more than one individual and was redesignated X-4228-A and X-4228-B. After further review, X-4228-A was identified as Lebeck. X-4228-B was identified as Bartlow. X-4227 was identified as Browngardt. X-4229 was identified as Noe. X-4231 was identified as Von Hebel.

The recovered remains were transported to Manila Mausoleum, AGRS-PAZ for storage and identification by an anthropologist in the Central Identification Laboratory (CIL) in accordance with scientific and technical standards. By March 1951 Gilbert was identified. By April 1951, Browngardt, Lebeck, Bartlow and Noe were individually identified by the U.S. Army. Afterwards, each of the crew were identified and transported to the United States and Hawaii for permanent burial.

Unknown X-4227 (X-File X-4227) were stored at Manila Mausoleum, AGRS-PAZ hanger 813, bay B, crypt 608. Next, placed in a casket in section 224. The remains were reviewed by an anthropologist Robert B. Fox and identified as Browngardt used partial dental and physical evidence, he was the tallest member of the crew at 6' 3" by February 21, 1950 then approved for identified on April 13, 1951. The cause of death was listed as "KIA - Plane Crash". Afterwards, the casketed remains of Browngardt aboard USNS Sgt. Charles E. Mower and on September 11, 1951 arrives in Brooklyn, NY. On October 3, 1951 the casketed remains of Browngardt with a U.S. Army escort arrived at Pino Funeral Home in Sag Harbor, New York to the custody of Mr. Leonard M. Pino, funeral director.

Memorials
Browngardt earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. On October 6, 1951 at 3:30pm a funeral with military honors was conducted for Browngardt who was buried with a flat granite marker at Saint Andrews Cemetery in Sag Harbor, NY. Burial honors were provided by American Legion Post #388. In attendance was his mother, Mrs. Gladys Browngardt who was presented the folded U.S. flag.

Relatives
Arthur Browngardt (father of Arthur Browngardt died October 6, 1950)
Gladys (née Schwab) Browngardt (mother of Arthur Browngardt died July 1986)
Gladys (née Browngardt) Laspesa (sister of Arthur Browngardt died September 4, 2016)

References
For the U.S. draft registration, Arthur Browngardt used his full name Arthur Daniel Browngardt, Jr. In U.S. Army service, his name was listed as "Arthur Browngard". Other civilian records list his name as Arthur D. Browngardt, Jr. or Arthur Browngardt, Jr.
NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Arthur Browngardt
U.S. Draft Registration Card - Arthur Daniel Browngardt, Jr.
Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) - Arthur Browngardt
Brooklyn Eagle "64 Soldiers from Area Listed as Killed In Action" March 7, 1945 page 8
"Southwest Pacific Area - Browngardt, 2nd Lt. Arthur J. – Mrs. Gladys Browngardt, mother, Sag Harbor."
Application For Headstone Marker - Arthur Browngardt, Jr.
FindAGrave - 2LT Arthur Browngardt Jr. (photos, grave photo)
Warpath Across The Pacific (1996) pages 221 (Profile 34), 249-253, (January 7, 1945), Profile 34), 374 (Appendix I, January 7, 1945 B-25J 43-36030 crew list), 388 (Appendix II, 499th BS 43-36030), 427 (Profile 34 description), 437 (index Bartlow), 438 (index Browngardt), 404 (index Gilbert), 433 (index Lebeck), 444 (index Noe), 448 (index Von Hebel)

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