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Personal info

Full name
FORTSON, Earnest Lawson Jr
Date of birth
21 November 1917
Age
26
Place of birth
Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Hometown
Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana

Military service

Service number
O-748172
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
325th Bombardment Squadron,
92nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
11 April 1944
Place of death
Near Behnsdorf, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
Plot Row Grave
E 36 22

Immediate family

Members
Ernest L. Fortson Sr. (father)
Winnie M. (Davis) Fortson (mother)
Mary L. Fortson (sister)
Loraine Fortson (sister)
Anna J. Fortson (sister)
Juanita B. (Bassham) Fortson (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31248
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: West of Stettin, Poland
Mission: Bombing of a synthetic complex
MACR: 3669

More information

2nd Lt Earnest L. Fortson Jr. was a mechanic before he joined the Regular Army on 17 March 1941. He was sent overseas o,n 2 March 1944.

The airplane was shot down by enemy fighters.

He was shot while parachuting down.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / www.fold3.com – MACR, www.findagrave.com – MAJ Jimmy Cotton, www.b17flyingfortress.de, www.newspapers.com – The Times - 2 July 1944

Photo source: www.findagrave.com – Damaris Acevedo / Eric Jawurek, www.abmc.gov – Mary Fortson Bewley (sister), www.newspapers.com – The Times - 2 July 1944