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BUSENBARK, Joseph Sidney - Date of
birth
21 August 1917 -
Age
28 - Place of
birth
Pearce, Cochise County, Arizona -
Hometown
Pearce, Cochise County, Arizona
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-696999 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
396th Fighter Squadron,
368th Fighter Group
-
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
24 December 1945 - Place of
death
South of Lissendorf, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Andrew J. Busenbark Sr. (father)
Annie C. (Adams) Busenbark (mother)
Genieve Busenbark (sister)
Lena Busenbark (sister)
Bessie Busenbark (sister)
George Busenbark (brother)
Fletcher Busenbark (brother)
Nellie Busenbark (sister)
Ann L. Busenbark (sister)
Stanley W. Busenbark (brother)
Andrew J. Busenbark (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-76482 -
Data
Type: P-47D
Destination: Trier, Germany
Mission: Dive-bombing
MACR: 11428
More information
2nd Lt Joseph S. Busenbark joined the Air Corps on 16 December 1941. He trained as a pilot at Shepherd Field, Majors Field, and Randolph Field, all in Texas, and received his wings in November 1943.The mission took place on 23 December 1944.
Statement of 1st Lt J. W. Strickland, who flew in the same mission: "I was flying no. 3 in Serum Black Flight with Lt Busenbark flying no. 4. Approximately 30 FW 190s were sighted and engaged in the vicinity of Coblenz. After a brief engagement, during which Lt Busenbark destroyed one FW, he called over the R/T that his engine was missing badly. We set course on a heading of 270 degrees, with Lt Busenbark losing altitude steadily until he crash-landed in the vicinity of Lissendorf. I flew over his ship several times at a low altitude in an effort to determine whether Lt Busenbark had got away from the ship. The aircraft was beginning to burn and, to the best of my knowledge, Lt Busenbark was not in the cockpit. The incident occurred at 1100 hours, 23 December 1944."
2nd Lt Busenbark was declared officially dead one day and one year after he was reported missing in action.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, 368th Fighter Group, Cathy Ellis, www.ancestry.com - Grimm Family Tree, 1920/1930/1940 Census, Arizona Republic and Arizona Daily Star.
Photo source: Michel Beckers, 368th Fighter Group