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| John Traczyk, WWII |
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| Current Address: |
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29903 Park Place Drive, Warren, MI 48093-6739 |
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| Email: |
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| Family Information: |
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Parents: John, Sr. and Mary; Children: John, Janet, Monica |
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| Hometown: |
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Detroit, MI |
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| Date Entered Service: |
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May 17, 1943 |
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| Service Number: |
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36852165 |
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| Bomb Group: |
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468th Bomb Group |
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| Squadron: |
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792nd Bomb Squadron |
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| Location of Unit: |
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Tinian; May 9, 1945 |
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| Missions Flown: |
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23 |
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| Hump Missions Flown: |
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None |
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| Targets: |
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Osaka, Tokyo, Kobe, Sendai, others |
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| Awards/Decorations: |
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American Theater Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with 2 Bronze Battle Stars, Overseas Service Bar, Good Conduct Medal, Air Medal with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Unit Citation, Air Crew Member Badge (Wings) WWII Victory Medal |
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| Service Schools Attended: |
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Air Cadet Student 10 months; Aerial Gunner 8 months; APMech. Gunner 8 months |
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| Military Specialty(ies): |
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AP Mechanic Gunner |
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| Rank Upon Discharge: |
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Sgt. |
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| Crew Type: |
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Flight crew |
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| Airplane Serial No.& Name: |
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| Were you a POW? |
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No |
| If so, where? |
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| Were you interned? |
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No |
| If so, where? |
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| Date Transferred from the 58th: |
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| Date Discharged from the 58th: |
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December 20, 1945 |
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| Post-WWII Military Service: |
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| Post-WWII Civilian Occupation(s): |
| Tool & Die Maker Apprentice, Journeyman and Leader until retirement in 1983. |
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| Thoughts on the 58th Bomb Wing: |
| Upon my discharge, it meant that I could live the rest of my life knowing that I fulfilled my duty to my country. It instilled a feeling of patriotism in me. |
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| Comments: |
| I was an Air Cadet for a while until the government decreed that they had an over abundance of Air Cadets and washed out several thousand of us. Consequently, I was trained as an Aerial Gunner and assigned to the 58th Bomb Wing as a Tail Gunner. |
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| John Traczyk, c. 2000 |
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