Memorial

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1st LT John L. Wagner graduated from Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Illinois in 1940 and attended Loras College.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Chicago, Illinois on 11 March 1942 and was sent overseas in October, 1943..

As the bombers approached the North Frisian Islands, the German flak batteries began to fire. Within five minutes Sugarfoot took a direct hit between the #3 and #4 engines. High octane aviation fuel poured across the wing toward the radio operators compartment, gravitating along the fuselage into the waist gun opening. Simultaneously, the 390th Bomb Group was attacked by six twin engine ME-110 fighter planes that dived out of the sun firing rockets and cannons. Sugarfoot took a hard hit in the nose that knocked out communications and caused an oxygen fire, impairing the oxygen supply to some of the crew.

Some crew members in the cockpit & nose may have bailed out since a the only surviver, Gorsskopf, saw several parachutes in the air before he jumped but apparently those from the radio room back were unconscious from lack of oxygen.

Nine crew members were killed, one was taken prisoner.

On one photo he poses with his brother Robert (left)