Joseph Lawrence Korstjens

Military
media-38465.jpeg UPL 38465 "After briefing, crew members of the Boeing B-17 'Swamp Fire' load the equipment on a truck which will take them to the flight line at an 8th Air Force Base in England. Soon they and other crews of the 379th Bomb Group will be roaring over enemy occupied Europe. 20 April 1944."

L-R: T/Sgt Elijah W "Lou" Lewis, 2Lt Byron B. "BB" Clark, Lt Matthew J Scianameo, T/Sgt Berj G Bejian, Capt Joseph L Korstjens.

https://www.fold3.com/image/48252918

Object Number - UPL 38465 - "After briefing, crew members of the Boeing B-17 'Swamp Fire' load the equipment on a truck which will take them to the flight line at an 8th Air...

Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat missions. ETD



Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME, National Defense, Korean and UN Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation and Republic of Korea War Service Medal.



Post war: Crew member B-29, shot down by MIG's bombing railroad bridge at Kwaksan. Missing in Action (MIA).

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.

379th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group, and their mascot "Scragg", with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-32024) nicknamed "Swamp Fire". Image via Byron Clark. A printed caption has been attached to the reverse: 'Swamp Fire First Crew. Kimbolton, May 1 1944 [handwritten annotation to this says: 'Photo Taken.']. Rear Row, L to R. Berj Bejian- Engineer & Top Turret, Roy Avery- Waist Gunner, Andrew Stroman- Ball Turret, John Rose- Waist Gunner, Elijah Lewis- Tail Gunner, Edward Pryzybyla- Radio Gun

Roy E Avery

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group, and their mascot "Scragg", with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-32024) nicknamed "Swamp Fire". Image via Byron Clark. A printed caption has been attached to the reverse: 'Swamp Fire First Crew. Kimbolton, May 1 1944 [handwritten annotation to this says: 'Photo Taken.']. Rear Row, L to R. Berj Bejian- Engineer & Top Turret, Roy Avery- Waist Gunner, Andrew Stroman- Ball Turret, John Rose- Waist Gunner, Elijah Lewis- Tail Gunner, Edward Pryzybyla- Radio Gun

Berj G Bejian

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12005752
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group, and their mascot "Scragg", with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-32024) nicknamed "Swamp Fire". Image via Byron Clark. A printed caption has been attached to the reverse: 'Swamp Fire First Crew. Kimbolton, May 1 1944 [handwritten annotation to this says: 'Photo Taken.']. Rear Row, L to R. Berj Bejian- Engineer & Top Turret, Roy Avery- Waist Gunner, Andrew Stroman- Ball Turret, John Rose- Waist Gunner, Elijah Lewis- Tail Gunner, Edward Pryzybyla- Radio Gun

Byron Barr Clark

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13087379 / O-813283
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group, and their mascot "Scragg", with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-32024) nicknamed "Swamp Fire". Image via Byron Clark. A printed caption has been attached to the reverse: 'Swamp Fire First Crew. Kimbolton, May 1 1944 [handwritten annotation to this says: 'Photo Taken.']. Rear Row, L to R. Berj Bejian- Engineer & Top Turret, Roy Avery- Waist Gunner, Andrew Stroman- Ball Turret, John Rose- Waist Gunner, Elijah Lewis- Tail Gunner, Edward Pryzybyla- Radio Gun

Elijah Wayne Lewis

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35493500
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group, and their mascot "Scragg", with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-32024) nicknamed "Swamp Fire". Image via Byron Clark. A printed caption has been attached to the reverse: 'Swamp Fire First Crew. Kimbolton, May 1 1944 [handwritten annotation to this says: 'Photo Taken.']. Rear Row, L to R. Berj Bejian- Engineer & Top Turret, Roy Avery- Waist Gunner, Andrew Stroman- Ball Turret, John Rose- Waist Gunner, Elijah Lewis- Tail Gunner, Edward Pryzybyla- Radio Gun

Edward I Przybyla

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator; Gunner

Aircraft

A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group, and their mascot "Scragg", with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-32024) nicknamed "Swamp Fire". Image via Byron Clark. A printed caption has been attached to the reverse: 'Swamp Fire First Crew. Kimbolton, May 1 1944 [handwritten annotation to this says: 'Photo Taken.']. Rear Row, L to R. Berj Bejian- Engineer & Top Turret, Roy Avery- Waist Gunner, Andrew Stroman- Ball Turret, John Rose- Waist Gunner, Elijah Lewis- Tail Gunner, Edward Pryzybyla- Radio Gun

42-32024

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Swamp Fire
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Groom, TX 12 June 1920 Son of George and Anna [Jacob] Korstjens.

Enlisted

Dallas, TX 17 December 1941 Dallas, Texas

Died

Kwaksan, Nth Korea 1 June 1951 Crew member of a B-29 Superfortress with 343BS, 98BW, while bombing a railroad bridge at Kwaksan, his aircraft was attacked by MiG's setting its wing on fire. Some crewmen were able to parachute into enemy lines. Missing in Action (MIA). Presumed dead 31-Jan-54.

Based

Kimbolton Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF.

Buried

Honolulu Memorial Honolulu, Honolulu County, HI Courts of the Missing Honolulu Memorial Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii

Buried

National Korean War Veterans Memorial Washington, DC Memorialised National Korean War Veterans Memorial Washington, DC

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/record/85352542-joseph-l-korstjens
https://www.fold3.com/image/197613905?rec=197613930
https://www.fold3.com/page/530033538-joseph-lawrence-korstjens
https://www.fold3.com/record/530033538-joseph-lawrence-korstjens
https://abmc.gov/node/510699
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98927457/joseph-lawrence-korstjens
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118312402/joseph-lawrence-korstjens

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/record/85352542-joseph-l-korstjens
https://www.fold3.com/image/197613905?rec=197613930
https://www.fold3.com/page/530033538-joseph-lawrence-korstjens
https://www.fold3.com/record/530033538-joseph-lawrence-korstjens
https://abmc.gov/node/510699
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98927457/joseph-lawrence-korstjens
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118312402/joseph-lawrence-korstjens

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

379th Bombardment Group (H) Anthology, 1942-1945; p. 158. / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Joseph Lawrence Korstjens: Gallery (4 items)

A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group, and their mascot "Scragg", with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-32024) nicknamed "Swamp Fire". Image via Byron Clark. A printed caption has been attached to the reverse: 'Swamp Fire First Crew. Kimbolton, May 1 1944 [handwritten annotation to this says: 'Photo Taken.']. Rear Row, L to R. Berj Bejian- Engineer & Top Turret, Roy Avery- Waist Gunner, Andrew Stroman- Ball Turret, John Rose- Waist Gunner, Elijah Lewis- Tail Gunner, Edward Pryzybyla- Radio Gun

Object number: FRE 1243 - A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group, and their...

Object number: UPL 38465 - "After briefing, crew members of the Boeing B-17...

Object number: UPL 38700 - "A crew of the 379th Bomb Group poses in front of...

Object number: UPL 38709 - "A Crew Of The 379Th Bomb Group Poses In Front Of...