S/Sgt. Sam Mike Manfredi
Born: 24 October 1920 – Clancy, Pennsylvania
Parents: Nicholas & Angeline Manfredi
Siblings: 6 sisters, 2 brothers
Home:
– 1110 North Nineteenth Avenue – Melrose Park, Illinois
Education:
– Melrose Park School
– Proviso Township High School
– Class of 1939
– left before class graduated
Employment: American Can Company – Maywood, Illinois
Selective Service Registration: 16 February 1942
Contact Person: Nick Manfredi – father
Enlisted:
– Not Known
Serial Number: 36615401
Training:
– Colorado
– trained as a gunner
Unit:
– 371st Bomb Squadron, 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 13th Air Force
– member of 1st Lt. Edward J. Rice’s B24’s crew
– tail gunner
Missions:
– Truk Island
– Yap Island
– Palau Island
Killed in Action:
– 5 July 1944
– planes sent out on a mission to destroy Japanese Airdrome
– Sam’s plane was in the first wave
– Rice assumed command of the mission when the lead plane does not make rendezvous area
– planes attacked by 28 Japanese fighters
– Rice’s plane took heavy damage
– Japanese planes swarmed on Rice’s plane
– engine number three started to burn
– Rice made the decision to ditch the plane
– the plane started to spin out of control to the left
– five crew members were able to bailout
Memorial:
– Tablets of the Missing
– American Military Cemetery – Manila, Philippine Islands
Medals:
– Purple Heart
– Bronze Star
– Silver Star- Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters
