He resided in Oklahoma prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1939.
Jessie was "Killed In Action" when his B-17F was hit by a direct aerial bomb and crashed near St. Pere-en-Retz, France during the war. He was awarded the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in the Pont du Cens Cemetery, France and was later repatriated here.
Service # 06293947
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jessie enlisted in 1939 in the Balloon Corps and later transferred to the Air Corps and later became a member of the 1Lt Sterling crew in the USA. Failed to exit "Black Swan" on mission #29 and was killed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 10 man Crew of the "Black Swan":
Cashman, Daniel J., S/Sgt, Gunner, Massachusetts, KIA
Fields, Harley W., T/Sgt, Radio-Op, Michigan, KIA
Griffin, Powell E., T/Sgt, Engineer, Alabama, POW
McCormick, Arthur R., S/Sgt, Turret Gunner, Maine, KIA
Neill, John L., 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, California, POW
Parker, David H., 2nd Lt, Bombardier, North Carolina, POW
Roach, Harry E., Jr, 2nd Lt, Navigator, Pennsylvania, EVD
Sterling, Jay R., 1st Lt, Pilot, Iowa, KIA
Whalon, William R., S/Sgt, Gunner, Connecticut, KIA
Cleavelin, Jessie C., S/Sgt, Gunner, Oklahoma, KIA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Oklahoma prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1939.
Jessie was "Killed In Action" when his B-17F was hit by a direct aerial bomb and crashed near St. Pere-en-Retz, France during the war. He was awarded the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in the Pont du Cens Cemetery, France and was later repatriated here.
Service # 06293947
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jessie enlisted in 1939 in the Balloon Corps and later transferred to the Air Corps and later became a member of the 1Lt Sterling crew in the USA. Failed to exit "Black Swan" on mission #29 and was killed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 10 man Crew of the "Black Swan":
Cashman, Daniel J., S/Sgt, Gunner, Massachusetts, KIA
Fields, Harley W., T/Sgt, Radio-Op, Michigan, KIA
Griffin, Powell E., T/Sgt, Engineer, Alabama, POW
McCormick, Arthur R., S/Sgt, Turret Gunner, Maine, KIA
Neill, John L., 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, California, POW
Parker, David H., 2nd Lt, Bombardier, North Carolina, POW
Roach, Harry E., Jr, 2nd Lt, Navigator, Pennsylvania, EVD
Sterling, Jay R., 1st Lt, Pilot, Iowa, KIA
Whalon, William R., S/Sgt, Gunner, Connecticut, KIA
Cleavelin, Jessie C., S/Sgt, Gunner, Oklahoma, KIA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
Inscription
SSGT 427 BOMB SQ 303 BOMB GP (H) OKLAHOMA
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Oklahoma
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement