Husband of Kathryn H. Colson who resided in Richmond, California.
Melvin served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-110109, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Contra Costa County, California prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 10, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-110109 was the Command B-24 of a Stike Mission. During the mission a Japanese Zero shot and hit the #2 Engine causing it to not only catch the engine on fire but also part of the wing. The wing was eventually seen to crumble causing the B-24 to crash into the sea. Multiple parachutes were seen leaving the plane.
Melvin was declared "Missing In Action" during this mission.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 39041776
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110109:
Blumenthal, William D ~ Cpl, Asst. Radio Operator, CA
Cass, Gerald M ~ Maj, Command Pilot, KS
Chapman, Robert ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NC
Colson, Melvin L ~ Sgt, Gunner, CA
Goode, Anthony J ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MA
Packard, Vernon E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CO
Sleshinski, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CT
Swanner, Joshua B, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, VA
Wisner, Oscar E ~ Capt, Bombardier, KY
Airmen who survived from B-24J #42-110109:
These two were later found in a raft and rescued.
Horn, Willard L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot
Broncato, Joseph ~ FO, Co-Pilot
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melvin served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-110109, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Contra Costa County, California prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 10, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-110109 was the Command B-24 of a Stike Mission. During the mission a Japanese Zero shot and hit the #2 Engine causing it to not only catch the engine on fire but also part of the wing. The wing was eventually seen to crumble causing the B-24 to crash into the sea. Multiple parachutes were seen leaving the plane.
Melvin was declared "Missing In Action" during this mission.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 39041776
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110109:
Blumenthal, William D ~ Cpl, Asst. Radio Operator, CA
Cass, Gerald M ~ Maj, Command Pilot, KS
Chapman, Robert ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NC
Colson, Melvin L ~ Sgt, Gunner, CA
Goode, Anthony J ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MA
Packard, Vernon E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CO
Sleshinski, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CT
Swanner, Joshua B, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, VA
Wisner, Oscar E ~ Capt, Bombardier, KY
Airmen who survived from B-24J #42-110109:
These two were later found in a raft and rescued.
Horn, Willard L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot
Broncato, Joseph ~ FO, Co-Pilot
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Husband of Kathryn H. Colson who resided in Richmond, California.
Melvin served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-110109, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Contra Costa County, California prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 10, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-110109 was the Command B-24 of a Stike Mission. During the mission a Japanese Zero shot and hit the #2 Engine causing it to not only catch the engine on fire but also part of the wing. The wing was eventually seen to crumble causing the B-24 to crash into the sea. Multiple parachutes were seen leaving the plane.
Melvin was declared "Missing In Action" during this mission.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 39041776
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110109:
Blumenthal, William D ~ Cpl, Asst. Radio Operator, CA
Cass, Gerald M ~ Maj, Command Pilot, KS
Chapman, Robert ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NC
Colson, Melvin L ~ Sgt, Gunner, CA
Goode, Anthony J ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MA
Packard, Vernon E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CO
Sleshinski, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CT
Swanner, Joshua B, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, VA
Wisner, Oscar E ~ Capt, Bombardier, KY
Airmen who survived from B-24J #42-110109:
These two were later found in a raft and rescued.
Horn, Willard L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot
Broncato, Joseph ~ FO, Co-Pilot
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melvin served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-110109, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Contra Costa County, California prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 10, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-110109 was the Command B-24 of a Stike Mission. During the mission a Japanese Zero shot and hit the #2 Engine causing it to not only catch the engine on fire but also part of the wing. The wing was eventually seen to crumble causing the B-24 to crash into the sea. Multiple parachutes were seen leaving the plane.
Melvin was declared "Missing In Action" during this mission.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 39041776
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110109:
Blumenthal, William D ~ Cpl, Asst. Radio Operator, CA
Cass, Gerald M ~ Maj, Command Pilot, KS
Chapman, Robert ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NC
Colson, Melvin L ~ Sgt, Gunner, CA
Goode, Anthony J ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MA
Packard, Vernon E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CO
Sleshinski, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CT
Swanner, Joshua B, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, VA
Wisner, Oscar E ~ Capt, Bombardier, KY
Airmen who survived from B-24J #42-110109:
These two were later found in a raft and rescued.
Horn, Willard L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot
Broncato, Joseph ~ FO, Co-Pilot
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inscription
SGT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
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