World War II Honoree

James Allen Callaghan

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

New Rochelle, New York

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE ARMY AIR FORCES ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1942 AT FORT JAY ON GOVERNORS ISLAND IN NEW YORK HARBOR. GRADUATED FROM NAVIGATION TRAINING CLASS 43-15, AND FROM BOMBARDIER TRAINING CLASS 44-03 AT ROSWELL ARMY AIR FIELD, NEW MEXICO. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT PRATT ARMY AIR FIELD, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRES OF OPERATION AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VERY HEAVY), 871ST BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON DECEMBER 18, 1944, HE FLEW AS THE BOMBARDIER-NAVIGATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'DIXIE DARLING' (SERIAL #42-63413) TAIL CODE: A-SQUARE-45. IT WAS ONE OF 89 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPANY AND AIRCRAFT ENGINE PLANTS NEAR NAGOYA, JAPAN. HOWEVER APPROXIMATELY 80 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF IWO JIMA, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS LAST SIGHTED LEAVING THE FORMATION AT A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF 24 DEGREES +33 MINUTES NORTH AND 139 DEGREES +50 MINUTES EAST. WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS UNDER-CAST WITH A CEILING OF 10,000 FEET AND LESS THAN 3 MILES OF VISIBILITY AT SEA LEVEL. HIS AIRCRAFT NEVER RETURNED TO SAIPAN AND WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DITCH, DUE TO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. A ROUTINE SEA SEARCH FAILED TO REVEAL ANY TRACE OF THE PLANE OR SURVIVORS.