John David O'Leary
MilitaryConnections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 340th Bomb Group 486th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-669020
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 340th Bomb Group 486th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 31031000
- Highest Rank: Technician Fourth Grade
- Role/Job: Aerial Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Catania–Fontanarossa Airport
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Comiso Airport
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Foggia "Gino Lisa" Airport
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Oak Park, Illinois | 18 January 1919 | |
| Cicero, Illinois | 16 October 1940 | 1307 S. 62nd Ave Worked for Local Loan Company. | |
|
Enlisted |
Rockford, Illinois | 6 December 1941 | Camp Grant |
|
Other Shot Down/WIA/Evaded |
Kalamaki, Greece | 17 November 1943 | Today the 340th lost a bomber over the target in the daytime to enemy fighter opposition. That is the first time such an event happened in the combat history of this group. Six men were in the plane, which was a 486th ship piloted by 2nd Lt. John D. O'Leary, a recent replacement. [Co-pilot 2nd Lt. John E. Smith was injured but survived. Four crewmen were KIA: Daniel R. Duskiewicz, John P. Sweeney, Roderick M. McDougal and Frank E. Williams] |
|
Other Returned To Duty |
Pompeii Airfield, Italy | 6 January 1944 | Into the group S-2 office today walked a man long given up for dead. He was 2nd Lt. John D. O'Leary of Cicero, Ill., a 486th pilot who, with a crew of five other men, was shot down in course of our November 17th raid on Kalamaki airdrome, Athens, Greece. His story is almost incredible, and provoked many an excited conversation as it went from one party to the next. Lt. O'Leary and his copilot, 2nd Lt. John E. Smith, apparently were the only survivors, and only Lt. O'Leary – apparently – was able to evade the enemy. With the plane completely disabled over the target the pilots rang the bell for immediate abandonment of aircraft and when nothing more could be done even to control the falling aircraft, the pilots abandoned the ship, Lt. O'Leary jumping after the co-pilot. Lt. O'Leary landed uninjured and was picked up and hidden almost immediately by friendly Greeks. Lt. Smith was found by the Greeks also, but because he was bleeding from a head cut they thought it best to let the Group Operations at Pompeii Photo: 57th Bomb Wing Archive Germans capture him and treat his wound. Spirited from house to house for days while the enemy combed the countryside and towns for him, O'Leary was finally brought into Athens and put in contact with the underground movement. After weeks of waiting and planning he finally was carried to a neutral country and shortly afterwards found his way to intelligence officers in Cairo and then Algiers. Before he left the Greeks gave him pictures of his four other crew members' graves. The |
|
Died |
Sacramento, California | 14 July 1975 | |
|
Buried |
Fair Oaks, California | 17 July 1975 | Mount Vernon Memorial Park Fair Oaks, Sacramento County, California, USA |
Revisions
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes