Mission History
Attacked Hiroshima, Kure and Eta Jima anchorage. Shot down over the Inland Sea, and crashed in a field, outside Hiroshima (need to confrim crash location).  All of the crew were taken prisoner. Several of the crew members were interned at the Chugoku Military Police Headquarters which was near the epicenter of the atomic bomb. All except for the pilot who was interned elsewhere perished immediately in the atomic blast

Memorials
The remains of Atkinson, Looper, Neal and Ryan were recovered postwar and were buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Plot 82 # 156 on November 3, 1949.

A Memorial For the nine POWs killed by the atomic bomb was placed at the site of the former headquarters in 1999. The memorial was conceived and built by a Japanese resident of Hiroshima.

Relatives
Gary Griffin adds:
"Durden Looper married into my family.  Although he was killed by the Atomic blast information has his body being buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis in 1949. I don't know if some remains were found later and buried or whether its just a memorial."

References
Thanks to Chris Valgardson for additional crew information. Thanks to P. Fazzini for additional information.

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Last Updated
April 29, 2009

B-24

POW
killed by atomic bomb