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Submit- Full
name
SHOEMAKER, Donald Jordan - Date of
birth
16 February 1923 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Sacramento, Sacramento County, California -
Hometown
Sacramento, Sacramento County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-778592 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Engineer -
Unit
324th Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
3 February 1945 - Place of
death
Bellevue Allee, Tiergarten Zoo
Berlin, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 35 | 47 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Charles L. Shoemaker (father)
Avis G. (Stackpole) Shoemaker (mother)
Robert L. Shoemaker (brother)
Betty I. (Lilley) Shoemaker (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-97632 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Tempelhof marshalling yards
MACR: 12232
More information
2nd Lt Donald J. Shoemaker graduated from McClatchy High School in February 1941. He attended Sacramento Junior College for one year.He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Sacramento, California on 12 December 1942.
Statement of 2nd Lt. Merlin M. Goldberg:
"I was flying as pilot in no. 2 position of the 4th element, and at about ten seconds after bombs away I observed an explosion of a direct flak hit in the waist section of aircraft B-17G 42-97632. At this time I also saw what appeared to be a secondary explosion in the interior of the aircraft as fire shot out of the nose. The aircraft disintegrated from about the horizontal stabilizer to the trailing edge of the wing. The tail section floated back through the formation and the forward section nosed downward. No flames or smoke were visable. I saw no crew members leave the aircraft or parachutes open."
The entire crew was killed. The remains were taken to the Reserve Hospital 101, Olympia Village at Döberitz. They were initially buried at the POW Cemetery at Elsgrund-Döbertiz.
Two crew members are still missing in action: George Zenz and Frank Adams.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.91stbombgroup.com, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov
Photo source: Mireille Goedhart, McClatchy High School 1941