2nd Lt. James Lowell O’Neal was born in West Frankfort, Illinois, on May 17, 1918, to Charles D. O’Neal and Anna E. Lambert-O’Neal, and had two sisters and a brother. His family moved to Proviso Township around 1926 and resided at 212 South 11th Avenue, Maywood, Illinois. He graduated from Washington School, in Maywood, and Proviso Township High School in 1936. It is known that he worked at the American Can Company, Maywood, as the head payroll clerk.
When the Selective Service Act became law on October 16, 1940, James registered and named his mother as his contact person. He enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on April 15, 1942, and attended Officers Candidates School. His serial number was O 699 844. He trained at Salt Lake City, Utah from December 12, 1943 to January 17, 1944. Next, he was at the 358 CCTS Provisional Group, Blythe California from January 18, 1944, to April 13, 1944. While there, he married Margaret J. Ward on March 6, 1944, in California. She resided at 311 South 5th Avenue, Maywood. He was then assigned to the 460th Army Air Force, Hamilton Field, California, April 14, 1944, to April 28, 1944, and Section E, 111th Army Air Force at Langley Field, Virginia, from May 5, 1944 to July 16, 1944. He was sent overseas and assigned to the 374th Bomb Squadron, 308th Bomb Group (Heavy) and was the co-pilot of Major Horace E. “Stump” Carswell Jr.’s plane which was a B-24 Liberator. The bomb group was stationed at Kwanghan, China,
The 308th flew multiple missions over China and Japan. They also went after Japanese shipping and sank a heavy cruiser and a destroyer on October 16, 1944. What is known is that his plane took part in a mission on October 26, 1944. At 5:15 pm, the plane took part in a sea-sweeping operation. Most of the members of the crew were new. The planes spotted a Japanese convoy of fourteen ships and made a bomb run on them. At 600 feet, the plane dropped six bombs and damaged a Japanese destroyer. The Japanese did not fire because they had been surprised by the attack.
The plane circled and the pilot, Major Carswell ordered a second bomb run on the ships at 600 feet. This time the target was a tanker which was hit twice by two of the three bombs dropped. The Japanese returned fire hitting two of the B-24’s engines and the plane’s hydraulic system. One of the plane’s fuel tanks was also hit. Carswell and O’Neal kept the plane flying and prevented it from going down at sea. The pilot and co-pilot fought to get the plane in a climb to reach the Chinese coast.
After reaching the coastline, Carswell and O’Neal were nursing the two good engines and found it difficult to maintain altitude. Carswell ordered the eight crewmembers to bail out; two were killed after their parachutes failed to open. The bombardier, 2nd Lt. Walter Hiller’s parachute had been hit by flak and was useless so he couldn’t jump. At some point, one of the two engines that were still running died. The last man out, Sgt. Carlton S. Schnepf, saw Hiller kneeling on the flight deck with his ruined parachute between Carswell and O’Neal. Schnepf stated, “Carswell and O’Neal were just sitting there looking straight ahead. They knew the others were bailing out, but they made no attempt to stop them. They knew about Hiller’s chute. They were still trying to ride her in. Then the No. 2 engine sputtered and I jumped.” The No 2 engine was the last engine. The plane hit a mountainside and burst into flames near Tungchen, China. According to Schnepf the plane crashed about 500 yards from where he landed.
James’ wife received a telegram from the War Department.
MRS MARGARET ONEAL
311 SOUTH 5TH AVE
MAYWOOD ILLINOIS
THE SECRETARY OF WAR DESIRES ME TO EXPRESS HIS DEEP REGRET THAT YOUR HUSBAND SECOND LIEUTENANT JAMES L ONEAL HAS BEEN REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION SINCE TWENTY SIX OCTOBER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AREA PERIOD IF FURTHER DETAILS OR OTHER INFORMATION ARE RECEIVED YOU WILL BE PROMPTLY NOTIED PERIOD
ULIO
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
A letter followed the telegram.
Mrs. Margaret O’Neal
311 South 5th Avenue
Maywood, Illinois
Dear Mrs. O’Neal:
This letter is to confirm my recent telegram in which you were regretfully informed that your husband, Second Lieutenant James L. O’Neal, O 699 844, Air Corps, has been reported missing in action since 26 October 1944 in China.
I know that added distress is caused by failure to receive some information or details. Therefore, I wish to assure you that at any time additional information is received it will be transmitted to you without delay, and, if in the meantime no additional information is received, I will again communicate with you at the expiration of three months. Also, it is the policy of the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces upon receipt of the “Missing Air Crews Report” to convey to you any details that might be contained in that report.
The term “missing in action” is used only to indicate that the whereabouts or status of an individual is not immediately known. It is not intended to convey the impression that the case in closed. I wish to emphasize that every effort is exerted continuously to clear up the status of our personnel. Under war conditions this is a difficult task as you must readily realize. Experience has shown that many persons reported missing in action are subsequently reported prisoners of war, but as this information is furnished by countries with which we are at war, the War Department is helpless to expedite such reports. However, in order to relieve financial worry, Congress has enacted legislation which contains in force pay, allowances and allotments to dependents of the personnel being carried in a missing status.
Permit me to extend to you my heartfelt sympathy during this period of uncertainty.
Sincerely yours,
(signed)
J. A. ULIO
Major General
The Adjutant General.
His status as missing in action was terminated on November 1, 1944, when the Quartermaster Corps received additional information showing he was dead.
MRS MARGARET ONEAL
311 SOUTH 5TH AVENUE
MAYWOOD ILLINOIS
THE SECRETARY OF WAR ASKS THAT I ASSURE YOU OF HIS DEEP SYMPATHY IN THE LOSS OF YOUR HUSBAND SECOND LIEUTENANT JAMES L ONEAL WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION REPORT NOW RECEIVED STATES HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION TWENTY SIX OCTOBER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AREA CONFIRMING LETTER FOLLOWS=
J A ULIO TTHE ADJUTANT GENERAL
The content of the letter is not known. What is known is that his remains were recovered, sometime around October 31, 1944, and buried. His remains were moved to the American Military Cemetery, Kunming, China, and buried in a wooden casket, on October 29, 1945, in plot 1, Row 9, Grave 788.
On January 16, 1946, in a special ceremony at her home in Maywood, Illinois, Margaret O’Neal received James’ Purple Heart and Silver Star for gallantry. The citation read:
“For gallantry in action. He participated in an attack on a mixed convoy of 14 naval and merchant vessels in the South China Sea the night of 26 October 1944, flying as co-pilot of a heavy bombardment type aircraft. Although heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered, two bombing runs were made over the convoy, and a tanker was probably sunk from the action. During the second run, the plane was seriously damaged by enemy fire. Two of the engines were put out of operation and a third engine was damaged. Other damage resulted to the aircraft and three of the crew were injured. Lt. O’Neal assisted the pilot in flying the aircraft to the coast, where the crew was ordered to jump from the plane. One of the crew members discovered that his parachute had been damaged by flak fragments and that he could not leave the plane. After the other crew members had parachuted from the plane, Lt. O’Neal remained with the senior pilot and the other crew member who was unable to jump, attempting to fly the crippled bomber to a landing position. However, the plane crashed and Lt. O’Neal was killed. The gallantry and courage that he exhibited reflect upon himself and the army air forces.”
Maj. Carswell received the Medal of Honor.
The Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington DC, contacted James’ wife, who was his legal next of kin, and provided her with information for her husband’s final burial. She was asked that he be buried overseas. It was at that time it was learned that she had remarried, on August 2, 1947, in the telegram she sent. Her remarriage made his father his next of kin.
In a letter dated March 18, 1949, the Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington, DC, provided his father with his options for James’ final burial. He was asked to fill-out and return an enclosed form indicating where he wanted his son buried. On March 28, 1949, the OQMG had the form indicating James should be buried overseas. 2nd Lt. James L. O’Neal was buried in Plot Q, Grave 154, at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii.
