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Personal info

Full name
HOLDER, Samuel Albert Jr
Date of birth
21 September 1922
Age
20
Place of birth
Mesilla Park, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Hometown
Mesilla, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Military service

Service number
19106061
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Right Waist Gunner
Unit
360th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
25 June 1943
Place of death
Borgsweer, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
I 21 20

Immediate family

Members
Samuel A. Holder (father)
Mae A. (Butler) Holder (mother)
Wayne B. Holder (brother)
Stanley Holder (brother)
Aileen Holder (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-5390
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: The Avenger
Destination: Hamburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the shipyards

More information

Samuel A. Holder Jr. attended Las Cruses Union High School and the State College for nine months where he learned aircraft mechanics.

He volunteered for the Aird Corps of the Army of the United States in Phoenix, Arizona on 6 June 1942 and trained at Sheppard Field in Texas, at Las Vegas, Nevada and Walla Walla, Washington. He was killed on his eleventh mission.

Because the primary target at Hamburg was obscured by clouds, scattered attacks were made on targets of opportunity in northwest Germany.

The airplane was shot down by enemy fighters. Three crew members survived and were taken prisoner, seven men were killed.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.ancestry.com - 1920/1940 Census / WW II Enlistment Record / Death Certificates / Mai Aileen Butler Holder, Samuel Holder Family Tree / 303rd Bomb Group, Heavy “Hell’s Angels Mission Report 044, 25 June 1943 / New Mexico, World War II Record

Photo source: Wendy Lensink, 303rd Bomb Group, www.ancestry.com - New Mexico, World War II Record