World War II Honoree

John Blaine Schroeder

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fairmont, Nebraska

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 13 AUGUST 1940 AT FORT CROOK, NEBRASKA. COMPLETED PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING AND WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT IN THE ARMY AIR FORCES. ASSIGNED TO '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 FLIGHT ENGINEER 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.