World War II Honoree

John Joffre Coone

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Edmond, Oklahoma

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS. COMPLETED RADIO AND AERIAL GUNNERY TRAINING. JOINED 'CREW A-46' DURING B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT PRATT ARMY AIR FIELD, KANSAS. IN SEPTEMBER 1944, DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRES OF OPERATION AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VH), 871ST BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 9 JANUARY 1945, HE FLEW AS THE RADIO OPERATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'MIS BEHAVIN' (SERIAL #42-24655) TAIL CODE: A-SQUARE-46. IT WAS ONE OF 72 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE MUSASHINO AIRCRAFT WORKS AND NAKAJIMA AIRCRAFT ENGINE FACTORY NEAR TOKYO, JAPAN. AFTER THE BOMB RUN, HIS #2 ENGINE WAS STRUCK BY AN OUT OF CONTROL NAKAJIMA KI-44 'TOJO' FIGHTER PLANE. HIS BOMBER WAS LAST SIGHTED BY B-29 A-SQUARE-48 TEN MILES EAST OF CHOSHI POINT OFF MAINLAND JAPAN AT 20,000 FEET AND UNDER ATTACK FROM 15 ENEMY FIGHTER PLANES. HE WAS KILLED WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN THE KATORI DISTRICT OF CHIBA PREFECTURE ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOKYO. THE NEXT DAY A B-17 'DUMBO' SEARCH PLANE WAS DISPATCHED TO THE OCEAN AREA OFF CHOSHI POINT, BUT NO WRECKAGE OR SURVIVORS WERE EVER FOUND. HE WAS DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION ONE YEAR LATER.