World War II Honoree

Febo F. Cardinali

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Brooklyn, New York

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 1 OCTOBER 1943 AT NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK. COMPLETED AERIAL GUNNERY SCHOOL AND UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT PRATT ARMY AIR FIELD, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 869TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 9 JANUARY 1945, HE FLEW AS AN AERIAL GUNNER IN THE STARBOARD SCANNER BLISTER STATION ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS (SERIAL #42-24772) TAIL CODE A-SQUARE-14. 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. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA AT 30,000 FEET, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS ATTACKED BY TWO NAKAJIMA KI-44 'TOJO' FIGHTER PLANES FROM THE 12 O’CLOCK HIGH POSITION. HIS #1 ENGINE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY GUNFIRE, SETTING THE LEFT WING ON FIRE. LAST VISUAL SIGHTING WAS BY HIS WINGMAN AT A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF 35 DEGREES +30 MINUTES NORTH AND 138 DEGREES +50 MINUTES EAST, AS IT DISAPPEARED INTO CLOUD COVER AT 27,000 FEET. HE MANAGED TO BAIL OUT OF THE BURNING AIRCRAFT AND LANDED NEAR THE ARMY TECHNICAL EXPERIMENTAL PLANT IN KODAIRA VILLAGE ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOKYO, BUT SOON DIED AND WAS BURIED IN A CEMETERY AT OGAWA-SHINDEN. ON 14 JULY 1949, HE WAS LAID TO REST AT THE LONG ISLAND NATIONAL CEMETERY NEAR FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK.