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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USN VB-144  USMC c1944 |
Pilot Lt. John W. Baker, O-099880 USNR (MIA / KIA) CA Co-Pilot Thomas E. Long Jr., O-251204 USNR (MIA / KIA) TX Crew ACMM Michael F. Mahoney, 2563352 (MIA / KIA) NJ Crew AMM3c G. Tate, 6585521 (MIA / KIA) VA Crew AO2c Delbert V. Freeman, 6652784 (MIA / KIA) WA Radio AR3c Charles A. Sartalamachia, 6450117 (MIA / KIA) LA MIA February 14, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed as model 237-27-01 in Burbank. Constructors Number 237-5181. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PV-1 Ventura bureau number 33361. Wartime History Assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) to squadron VB-144. No known nickname or nose art. No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On February 14, 1944 took off from Tarawa Airfield (Hawkins Field) on Tarawa (Betio) on a bombing mission bound for Jaluit Atoll. After take off crashed and the entire crew was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials After the loss, a memorial marker cross with a plaque with a fence around it was erected on Tarawa (Betio) to memorialize the crew. The plaque read "In Memoriam lost on a mission to Jaluit Feb. 14th 1944" with the names of the six crew members written below. The entire crew was officially declared dead on February 15, 1945. All six are memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. Long, Mahoney and Sartalamachia on court 1. Tate on court 2. Freeman on court 3. Baker on court 5. Baker also has a memorial marker at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) in Glendale, CA at section H, grave 47 next to the curb. Sartalamachia is also memorialized at Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans, LA at plot 30, sorrel venus osier. References Navy Serial Number Search Results - PV-1 Ventura 33361 "33361 (VB-144) w/o 14-Feb-44 Tarawa Atoll. Crashed after take-off. 5 killed." American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John W. Baker American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Thomas E. Long Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Michael F. Mahoney American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lester G. Tate American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Delbert V. Freeman American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles A. Sartalamachia FindAGrave - Lt John W Baker (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Lieut John William Baker (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - Ens Thomas E Long, Jr (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ACMM2 Michael F Mahoney (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AMM3 Lester G Tate (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AOM2 Delbert V Freeman (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ARm3 Charles A Sartalamachia (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Charles Anthony Sartalamachia (memorial marker photo) USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List February 1944 - PV-1 33361 Thanks to Katherine Rasdorf for research and analysis Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated February 4, 2022 |
 PV-1 MIA6 Missing |
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