World War II Honoree

Charles Chris Contos

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Cook County, Illinois

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

HE ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS on 2 December 1941 at Camp Grant, Illinois. HE WAS SELECTED FOR AVIATION CADET TRAINING, COMPLETED PRE-FLIGHT GROUND SCHOOL, AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES. PER 22ND AIR BASE HEADQUARTERS, SPECIAL ORDERS #66, DATED 6 MARCH 1944, HE GRADUATED WITH CLASS #25-44 FROM FLIGHT ENGINEER SCHOOL (FES) AT LOWRY FIELD NEAR DENVER, COLORADO AND WAS ATTACHED TO 17TH BOMBARDMENT OPERATIONAL TRAINING WING AT CLOVIS ARMY AIR BASE, NEW MEXICO. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AND WAS ASSIGNED TO AIRCREW A-2 AT PRATT ARMY AIR FIELD, KANSAS. IN SEPTEMBER 1944, HE DEPLOYED FROM MATHER FIELD, CALIFORNIA (WITH RE-FUELING STOPS AT HAWAII AND KWAJALEIN ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS) TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VH), 869TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 14 JANUARY 1945, HE FLEW AS THE FLIGHT ENGINEER ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'PACIFIC UNION' TAIL CODE A-SQUARE-2 (SERIAL #42-24595). IT WAS ONE OF 73 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT PLANT NEAR NAGOYA, JAPAN. AFTER A FLIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY SIX HOURS AND SOME 1,200 NAUTICAL MILES, HIS AIRCRAFT REACHED THEIR CHECK-POINT ABOVE MOUNT FUJI ON THE MAIN ISLAND OF HONSHU, AND BEGAN THEIR BOMB-RUN SOUTHWEST TOWARDS NAGOYA. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, THE GROUP WAS ATTACKED BY A BAND OF ENEMY FIGHTER PLANES, AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY FLAK WAS DESCRIBED AS MODERATE. WITH DAMAGE TO TWO ENGINES, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS FORCED TO DITCH IN THE OCEAN JUST WEST OF PAGAN ISLAND APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES NORTH OF SAIPAN. HE WAS INITIALLY LISTED AS MISSING IN ACTION AND DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION AFTER THE WAR ENDED.