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Verne R Gray

Military

  • Awards/Medals: 5 Battlestars Shuttle Mission Medal to Russia 4 Air Medals

    Awards/Medals: 5 Battlestars Shuttle Mission Medal to Russia 4 Air Medals

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  • William H. Marra, Mike Wojicick (?), Ernst Feibusch, Robert Miner, James B. Eckman

    William H. Marra, Mike Wojicick (?), Ernst Feibusch, Robert Miner, James B. Eckman

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  • Tech. Sgt. William H. Marra

    Tech. Sgt. William H. Marra

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  • The backside (photo included in this collection) names all of the members in his squad: William H. Marra (himself, pictured front row L to R), Mike Wojicicki, James B. Echman, Bob Mines, Bob Kincade, Ernest Fiebusch, Tom Gallagher (Pilot), James Atkinson (Bombadier), Daniel Holey Wariguton. I hope I spelled all of these names correctly. - - - - Notes from Ed Reniere 21 November 2020 : Corrected some names : It's Robert Miner (not Mines); Robert Kincaid (not Kincade); Ernst Feibusch (not Fiebusch) and Daniel Foley (not Holey). See UPL 16280 for reverse: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/16280

    The backside (photo included in this collection) names all of the members in his squad: William H. Marra (himself, pictured front row L to R), Mike Wojicicki, James B. Echman, Bob Mines, Bob Kincade, Ernest Fiebusch, Tom Gallagher (Pilot), James Atkinson (Bombadier), Daniel Holey Wariguton. I hope I spelled all of these names correctly. - - - - Notes from Ed Reniere 21 November 2020 : Corrected some names : It's Robert Miner (not Mines); Robert Kincaid (not Kincade); Ernst Feibusch (not Fiebusch) and Daniel Foley (not Holey). See UPL 16280 for reverse: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/16280

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  • A view from his plane. Location: ?

    A view from his plane. Location: ?

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  • This is the backside of the larger group photo naming all of the members in his squad: William H. Marra (himself), Mike Wojicicki (?) James B. Eckman, Bob Mines, Bob Kincade, Ernest Fiebusch, Tom Gallagher (Pilot), James Atkinson (Bombardier), Daniel Holey. I hope I spelled all of these names correctly. - - - - Notes from Ed Reniere 16 November 2020 : Corrected some names : It's Robert Miner (not Mines); Robert Kincaid (not Kincade); Ernst Feibusch (not Fiebusch) and Daniel Foley (not Holey). See UPL 16278 for front of photo http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/16278

    This is the backside of the larger group photo naming all of the members in his squad: William H. Marra (himself), Mike Wojicicki (?) James B. Eckman, Bob Mines, Bob Kincade, Ernest Fiebusch, Tom Gallagher (Pilot), James Atkinson (Bombardier), Daniel Holey. I hope I spelled all of these names correctly. - - - - Notes from Ed Reniere 16 November 2020 : Corrected some names : It's Robert Miner (not Mines); Robert Kincaid (not Kincade); Ernst Feibusch (not Fiebusch) and Daniel Foley (not Holey). See UPL 16278 for front of photo http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/16278

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  • William H. Marra in the center.

    William H. Marra in the center.

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  • Tech. Sgt. William H. Marra, Location: Fair Haven, N.Y. Circa. 1944

    Tech. Sgt. William H. Marra, Location: Fair Haven, N.Y. Circa. 1944

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Killed in Action (KIA) crashed near Alfeld in B-17 'Boston Blackie' #42102972 Mission was to bomb the marshalling yards at Seelze, near Hanover when his plane was hit by another B-17, the 'Lady Velma' and both planes went down. , there was only one survivor, Francis Joe Nix, out of the Lady Velma.

Purple Heart

Service

People

  • William Marra

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
    Force-landed in Switzerland on 5 September 1944 in B-17 Blues in the Night #43-37866. Interned in neutral Switzerland.

Units served with

  • 390th Bomb Group

    390th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This...

  • 571st Bomb Squadron

    571st Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

  • 42-102972 - Heavenly Cent - Boston Blackie - Miss Boston

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered, Cheyenne, 24/4/44; Kearney 6/5/44; Dow Field, 21/5/44; Assigned 571BS/390BG [FC-F] Framlingham, 26/5/44. Heavenly Cent; Missing in Action, Hannover, 14/3/45 with Roy Creaseman, Joe McAllister, Mike Bursin, Boyce Pruitt, George Gouldthrite,...

Events

Event Location Date
Born Longmont, Colorado, USA
Killed in Action (KIA) Germany 14 March 1945
Died 14 March 1945
Buried Longmont, Colorado
Nationality
American
Nickname
Shorty
Service numbers
Not yet known
Highest rank
Sergeant
Role/job
Tail Gunner, Waist Gunner
Awards
  • Air Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster
  • Purple Heart

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
20 January 2015 08:01:23 Allen Changes to nickname and awards
Sources

Son.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:26:22 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 13025 / MACR13025/relative / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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