S/Sgt. James P. Madsen Jr.
Born: 4 September 1924 – Chicago, Illinois
Parents: James P. Madsen Sr. & Helen Madsen
Siblings: 1 sister
Home:
– 1730 North Seventy-Ninth Avenue – Elmwood Park, Illinois
Education:
– Concordia High School, River Forest, Illinois
– Proviso Township High School
– Class of 1944
– left before class graduated – 29 May 1942
Occupation: Chicago & Northwestern Railroad – communications department
Wife: Thelma E. Madsen
Residence: 1403 Park Avenue – River Forest, Illinois
Selective Service Registration: 29 June 1942
Contact Person: James P. Madsen Sr. – father
Enlisted:
– U.S. Army Air Corps
– 26 October 1942 – Chicago, Illinois
Serial Number: 16144800
Training: Unknown
– tail gunner
Unit:
– 32nd Bomb Squadron, 301st Bomber Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force
– he was a member of a B-17F bomber crew
– Plane’s Army Serial Number: 42-30134
Bombing Missions:
– 2 November 1943 – began operations
– Flew missions over these countries
– Tunisia, North Africa – November 1943
– assigned to his unit while it was on rest & relaxation
– Italy
– The unit relocated during December 1943
– planes flew out of Cerignola No. 1 Army Airfield
Killed in Action:
– 25 December 1943 -over Italy
– unlimited visibility – 12:44 AM
Mission:
– destroy railroad bridge – Bolzano, Italy
– dropped bombs over the target
– plane’s#2 engine hit by flak from anti-aircraft guns
– the plane was hit a second time by flak in the radio room
– it was hit a third time near upper ball turret- right wing came off
– the plane fell in a spiral from the formation at about 10,000 feet per minute
– at about 10,000 feet the plane disintegrated
– four of nine crew members escape from the plane
Buried:
– Florence American Cemetery, Via Cassia, Italy
-Plot: G Row: 9 Grave: 2
Medals:
– Purple Heart
– Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
