Memorial

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When S/Sgt Anthony G. Buccini's mother died, he went to live with his uncle and aunt, Joseph and Susan Garofoli. He graduated from Washington Junior High School and A. B. Davis High School.

S/Sgt Anthony G. Buccini enlisted on 16 February 1943 in New York City, New York.

Statement of crew member Gunner S/Sgt Edwin H. Thomas: "Our aircraft was hit directly in the bomb bay by an 88-mm A.A. shell, cutting fuel lines and control cables. Consequently, aircraft was immediately out of control and almost entirely in flames internally. Therefore I believe my buddies perished because they were trapped in their positions by the fire."

Statement by S/Sgt Robert C. Gaylor, crew member of another airplane in the Group: "...As we came off the target, Les Chapoine Airfield (Les Chanoines, Airfield near Istress, south east France) we ran into some very heavy and extremely accurate flak. One burst hit directly in front of the Ball Turret of Lt Kalie's aircraft, and immediately after flames started spurting from his bomb bay. The aircraft slipped away in a steep glide as one man came out whose parachute opened and four (4) others came out whose parachutes did not open. I watched the plane as it went down and it did not crash, for, by the time it had gone too very far, the fire and resulting explosions had almost completely demolished the aircraft."

Six crew members were killed, three were taken prisoner.

Nota: Although in the MACR the target is named "Les Chapoine Airfield", it can be assumed that this is a mistake. The only airfield in the area is called Le Tubé.
S/Sgt Buccini was initially buried in a hole with a motor of the airplane in the vicinity of Fos-sur-Mer, France. After the war he was disinterred and reburied at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Luynes, France as Unknown X-104. At that moment there were still no certain evidences that Unknown X-104 was S/Sgt Buccini, because two other crew members were not yet identified. The remains, registrered as Unknown X-104 were moved to St. Avold on 7 August 1950 where they were designated as Unknown X-8156. For further investigation, they were transported to Ardennes Cemetery where these remains were finally identified as those of S/Sgt Buccini.

He was given his final resting place on 28 March 1951.