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name
LUNA, James E - Date of
birth
30 December 1924 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas -
Hometown
Texas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-2063259 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
600th Bombardment Squadron,
398th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
22 February 1945 - Place of
death
Near Altendorf-Gifhorn, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 15 | 7 |
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-39128 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Beatty's Eight Balls
Target: Stendal, Germany
MACR: 12650
More information
2nd Lt James E. Luna graduated from Cypress High School and was employed by the Todd-Houston Shipbuilding Corporation.He was overseas for only five weeks when he was killed.
Eyewitness:
At about 10 minutes before the ??? a ME 262 (jet propelled) enemy fighter hit a ship in our formation. From the nose I could see burst of the 20mm or 30mm shells, drawing my attention to Lt Beatty's plane. The bursts started at the radio room going up the fuselage to the left wing, then out the left wing, bursting flames commenced as the plane dived across our nose. The flames seemed to be more intense between number one and two engines. Later I noticed five chutes burst out the plane. At about 5.000 feet the plane exploded, however at the angle I was at the time of the explosion there could have been more chutes among the aluminium which floated down. I could not be certain, but there were distinctly 5 chutes that came down from the plane.
Source of information: Michel Beckers, Carla Mans, Geoff Rice-398th Web Team, www.ancestry.com - U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men
Photo source: www.findagrave.com, www.newspapers.com - The Houston Chronicle - 29 January 1946