Skip to main content
Edit entry 

Alan Winfield Keenen

Military

  • Lt. Laurence R. Lofgren Crew c. 1944 Pueblo, CO Standing Back Row L to R: F/O James Froula; Lt. Merlin Gaudet; Lt. Laurence Lofgren; Lt. George Sankey Middle Row L to R: T/Sgt. William Clifton; S/Sgt. Alan W. Keenen; S/Sgt. Kenneth

    Lt. Laurence R. Lofgren Crew c. 1944 Pueblo, CO Standing Back Row L to R: F/O James Froula; Lt. Merlin Gaudet; Lt. Laurence Lofgren; Lt. George Sankey Middle Row L to R: T/Sgt. William Clifton; S/Sgt. Alan W. Keenen; S/Sgt. Kenneth "Joe" Stalder Sitting Front Row L to R: S/Sgt. Thomas Davis; S/Sgt. Robert Martinec; T/Sgt. Melvin Solomon

    Show caption About this image

  • "Bangin' Lulu" a/c 42-51091

    Show caption About this image
  •  
  •  

Lone survivor of B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735. Sustaining burns from the on-board fire, Alan bailed out of the burning aircraft at an altitude of 100-150 ft. He broke his ankle upon landing. He was immediately captured by the Germans and was a POW for the remainder of the war. He was liberated and repatriated. Honorable Discharge 8 Nov 1945.

Service

People

  • Earle Cheek

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 446th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735

  • William Clifton

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner/Engineer | 446th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) near northwest Wesel, Germany in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735 during Operation Varsity.

  • Thomas Davis

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 446th Bomb Group

  • Merlin Gaudet

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 446th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) near northwest of Wesel, Germany in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735. ...

  • Fredrick Jacobs

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 446th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735

  • Laurence Lofgren

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 446th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) northwest of Wesel, Germany in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735. He was also the pilot of the "Bangin' Lulu" #42-51091.

  • Robert Martinec

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Enlisted, Nose Gunner | 446th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735

  • George Sankey

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator/Lead Squadron Navigator | 446th Bomb Group

  • Melvin Solomon

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 446th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735 ...

  • Kenneth Stalder

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 446th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735

Show more

Units served with

  • 446th Bomb Group

    446th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 446th Bomb Group, who came to be known as "the Bungay Buckaroos" after the name of their Suffolk base, flew B-24 Liberators on strategic, support and interdictory missions over Europe. The Group led the Eighth Air Force and 2nd Bomb Division on the...

  • 704th Bomb Squadron

    704th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

Associated Place

Events

Event Location Date
Born Kennett Square, PA, USA 17 January 1926

Only child of Charles Winfield Keenen and Anna Florence (nee Gray) Keenen. Alan lost both his parents by 1941 when he was 15 years old.
Returned (RTD) Germany 24 March 1945 – 8 May 1945

Captured by the Germans. Served out the rest of the war as a POW at Stalag Luft One in Barth, Germany. POW camp was liberated by Russian troops on 1 May 1945.
Nationality
American
Nickname
Al
Service numbers
13200624
Highest rank
Staff Sergeant
Role/job
Tail Gunner and Armorer (MOS 612)
Awards
  • Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters
  • American Campaign Medal
  • Good Conduct Medal
  • Prisoner of War Medal
  • Purple Heart
  • World War II Victory Medal
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
05 August 2015 14:27:25 gwap53 Changes to place associations
Sources

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)
Date Contributor Update
05 August 2015 03:14:12 gwap53 Changes to biography, events, person associations and place associations
Sources

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)
Date Contributor Update
05 August 2015 03:00:38 gwap53 Changes to role
Sources

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)
Date Contributor Update
05 August 2015 02:59:10 gwap53 Changes to service number
Sources

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)
Date Contributor Update
05 August 2015 02:57:21 gwap53 Changes to middlename, nickname and awards
Sources

Alan Winfield Keenen and his daughter, Betsy Keenen Walker
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:02:57 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 14181 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Share