Major John Jerstad was Killed In Action (KIA) on Operation Tidal Wave onboard the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench.



John Jerstad enlisted as an aviation cadet at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 12, 1941. He trained at Ontario, California, and Luke Field, Arizona. He was commissioned on February 6, 1942 and served with the 98th and 93rd Bomb Groups at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. In October 1942, he went to Europe with the 93rd and flew B-24s with the 328th Bomb Squadron, as a captain. He was promoted to major in April 1943, and was assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing headquarters a month later. He was picked by Colonel Edward L. Timberlake, former commander of the 376th Bombing Group, "Ted's Traveling Circus", to be Ted Timberlake's chief operations officer.



By August 1943, Jersad had completed more than his tour of missions and was no longer directly connected with the 93rd Bomb Group. He had conducted many of the missions in an aircraft named, Jerk's Natural. "Jerk" was a reference to his own name, Jack Jerstad, and "Natural" referred to the fact the plane's serial numbers added to 7 and 11, was a "natural" in dice games. When Jerstad heard about Operation Tidal Wave, the upcoming low level bombing mission against the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, he volunteered to lead a formation of B-24s on the 18-hour, 2,400 mile round-trip mission to destroy the largest of the oil refineries at Ploesti, 30 miles north of Bucharest, Romania. This mission ended with five U.S. Air Force airmen, including Maj. Jerstad, earning the Medal of Honor, three, including Major Jerstad, posthumously. Sixty aircraft were lost on the mission.



Three miles from the target, Jerstad's bomber, named, Hell's Wench, was badly damaged and set aflame by enemy flak guns. More than 230 antiaircraft guns, supported by many barrage balloons and smoke pots, surrounded the refineries, with more than 400 fighters in the area. Ignoring the fact he was on fire and flying above a field suitable for a forced landing, Maj. Jerstad and his Group Commander Col. Addison Baker kept on course in order to lead their group to their target. After the bombs were released on the target, the fire in his aircraft became so intense that it made further progress impossible, and their B-24D, Hell's Wench, crashed into the target area. Col. Baker, Major Jerstad, and their crew were killed, and listed as missing in action. For these actions, Major Jerstad was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His family accepted the medal on his behalf during a presentation ceremony at Holy Communion Church in Racine, Wisconsin, October 28, 1943.