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Personal info

Full name
CAPPELLETTI, Mike Joseph
Date of birth
26 November 1918
Age
25
Place of birth
Seattle, King County, Washington
Hometown
Seattle, King County, Washington

Military service

Service number
39190019
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Left Waist Gunner
Unit
545th Bombardment Squadron,
384th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
1 December 1943
Place of death
Snellegem, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Epinal
Plot Row Grave
A 6 70

Immediate family

Members
Pompieo P. Cappelletti (father)
Machelina Cappelletti (mother)
John Cappelletti (brother)
Angelo Cappelletti (brother)
May Cappelletti (sister)
Lena Cappelletti (sister)
Eileen (Sullivan) Cappelletti (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
41-24557
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Damn Yankee
Destination: Solingen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the non-ferrous metals plant
MACR: 1334

More information

S/Sgt Mike J. Cappelletti graduated from Franklin High School with the class of 1938. He worked for Commercial Automotive and Schwacker Bros.

He enlisted in Tacoma, Washington on 23 September 1942.

The airplane left the formation over Belgium after fighters caused severe damage to the rear section. Five crew members bailed out before it nosed down and crashed at Snellegem, six miles southwest of Bruges, Belgium, at 1255 hrs. Four of them were taken prisoner after they touched the ground a half mile from Ettelgem.

Four crew members were killed. Their remains were found in the wreckage.

Source of information: André Koch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / Headstone and Interment Record / Washington, Birth Records,
www.fold3.com - MACR, http://www.8thafhs.com, www.findagrave.com
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Dwight “Andy” Anderson, www.ancestry.com - Franklin High School Yearbook 1946