T/Sgt. Francis Joseph Conlon Jr. was born on March 10, 1917, in Forest Park, Illinois, to Francis J. Colon Sr. and Delia Lyons-Conlon, and he had six sisters. He was called, “Frank” by his family and friends. The family resided at 923 South Harlem Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, and graduated from Saint Bernadine Catholic School and Proviso Township High School in 1935. He registered on October 16, 1940, with Selective Service, when the draft act took effect. He named his mother as his contact person. Knowing he was going to he drafted into the Army, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps on June 19, 1941, while living in Washington DC, and was issued the serial number 13 023 449.
Frank was sent to Geiger Army Airfield, Spokane, Washington, from June 19, 1941, until February 3, 1942, when he was assigned to the 353rd Bomb Squadron, 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy), and sent to Alamogordo Army Airfield, Alamogordo, New Mexico, where he was stationed from February 3rd to May 28, 1942. The 353rd was moved to H. A. B., Muroc, California, and was there from May 28, 1943 until June 8, 1943. Some documents show Frank trained at the Richard E. Byrd Field from June 21, 1942 to July 18, 1942, where he received training as a radioman.
The 353rd left the United States from Fort Dix, New Jersey, on July 19, 1942. The unit was sent to Royal Air Force Chelveston on August 19, 1942, and was now part of the 8th Air Force. The planes flew their first mission against Germany on September 5,1942 bombing targets in occupied France. On September 14th, the unit was transferred to the 12th Bomber Command in preparation for the invasion of North Africa, but they still flew bombing missions over France bombing targets at Muerte, France on October 2nd and Lillie, France on the 9th. The missions continued until the unit was transferred to Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, in North Africa.
On November 28, 1942, the 353rd was on a bombing mission to Bizerte, Tunisia, North Africa. This was the squadron’s first mission over North Africa. During the attack, Frank’s plane was attacked by German fighters, crashed into the sea, and exploded. The pilots of the other planes in the 353rd stated they saw the plane go down and explode when it hit the water. All nine members of his plane crew died in the crash. His mother received a telegram from the War Department.
MRS FRANK J CONLON
923 SOUTH HARLEM AVENUE
FORST PARK ILLINOIS
THE SECRETARY OF WAR DESIRES ME TO EXPRESS HIS DEEP REGRET THAT YOUR SON TECHNICAL SERGEANT FRANK J CONLON JUNIOR HAS BEEN REPORTED AS MISSING IN ACTION IN THE AFRICAN AREA SINCE THE TWENTY EIGHT NOVEMBER PERIOD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE SENT WHEN RECEIVED
ULIO
Official: THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
The War Department declared Frank dead on November 28, 1943. His parents received a letter stating that Frank had been presumed dead. It also indicated that the area where the plane went down was under Axis control in the later part of November 1942 and the early part of December 1942. Since a year had passed and no information about Frank had been received from the Axis nations – who were prompt in reporting men taken as prisoners of war – the strong presumption had been made that T/Sgt. Frank J. Conlon Jr., was dead. After the war, T/Sgt. Frank J. Conlon Jr’s. name was placed on the Tablets of the Missing in the North Africa American Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia. His family also had a memorial headstone placed at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
