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name
HECKENDORN, George F - Date of
birth
26 March 1923 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
13028352 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Radio Operator -
Unit
579th Bombardment Squadron,
392nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
13 November 1943 - Place of
death
Endel, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 28 | 2 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Joseph T. Heckendorn (father)
Mary M. (Light) Heckendorn (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-7561 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Mack's Sack II
Destination: Bremen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the port
MACR: 1554
More information
S/Sgt George F. Heckendorn joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 10 July 1941.An eye-witness account, given by a pilot of another airplane in the formation, Lt Fogarty, stated that this airplane went down at 1125 hours in a spin and on fire having been attacked by an FW-109 enemy fighter, northeast of the target. There were no other related details of the loss in the MACR.
George Heckendorn was initially interred at the Lawe cemetery in Oldenburg.
Five crew members survived and were taken prisoner, five were killed.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.B24.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Veteran Compensation Application File
Photo source: www.B24.net, Mireille Goedhart