Aircraft History
Built by North American Aviation (NAA). Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-25G-5 Mitchell serial number 42-64907. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field to the South Pacific (SOPAC).

Wartime History
Assigned to the 13th Air Force (13th AF), 42nd Bombardment Group (42nd BG) "The Crusaders", 390th Bombardment Squadron (390th BS). Nicknamed "Nancy Jean", with the nose art of a girl wearing cowboy hat and boots leaning on a fence. Engines were Wright R-2600-29 serial numbers 42-147613 and 42-148082, with 15 50 caliber machine guns installed.

Mission History
On February 26, 1945 took off from Pitu Airfield on Morotai Island on a bombing and strafing mission against Jolo Island. Weather was story with visibility of 0-500' inside storms, or 20-25 miles outside clouds. At 9:08, the formation entered clouds and visibility between aircraft became nearly nil. When the formation exited clouds, this B-25 was gone.

Last seen by a crew member aboard another B-25 approximately 8 miles south of Sangihe Island, south of Davao Gulf.

Search
The same day as the loss, a search by B-25s of the squadron was conducted by two B-25s of the 75th BS and six PBY Catalinas from the 2nd Air Sea Rescue Squadrons, with negative results. On the same day, twenty-four B-24s of the 307th BG also searched while in the vicinity, but found nothing. The next day, six 390th BS B-25s searched in pairs in three different areas with nil results. By March 6, all organized searched for this B-25 were abandoned.

Memorials
The entire crew was declared dead on February 26, 1945. Memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.

Relatives
William Verzi (brother of Verzi)

References
Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 12774
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Louis R. Verzi
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John H. Hejl
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James E. Zeitler
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Anthony G. Fiscarelli
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ercell Rankin
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John A. Slagle
St. Petersburg Times"A Brother's long quest" February 26, 2008

Last Updated
January 11, 2023