John Stanley Nierengarden was born, 12 April 1924 in West New York, New Jersey to the parents of John N Nierengarden and Agatha Choplain. He attended Xavier High School and during his sophomore year at Columbia University, he left college for the service. He was sent overseas in the Fall of 1944.

He was assigned to the 751st Bomb Squadron in the 457th Bomb Group - Heavy, that operated with B-17, Flying Fortress aircraft. Second Lieutenant John Stanley Nierengarden was the navigator on Lieutenant Mack’s crew, the ‘PAKAWALUP’, with Tail Number 42-31630.

On 19 February 1945, they were returning from Mission 189, which targeted synthetic oil refineries in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. On the return to their base in England, the B-17 crashed at Alconbury, England, reportedly in bad weather. The entire crew was lost in the crash, although Lieutenant Mack, died in a hospital, 22 February, from his wounds, according to reports.

1-Lt. Richard Lynn Mack, Pilot, O-811110, ***

2-Lt. Donald H Schick, Co-Pilot, O-829569, buried at Williamsville, New York

2-Lt. John Stanley Nierengarden, Nav., 2064635, buried at Hawthorne, New York

Ralph Bell, Bmbrdr, no burial info found

Fl. Eng./T-Turr. Gnnr: Sgt. Robert Fahey Reublin, buried at Ashtabula, Ohio

T-Sgt. Charles Held, Rad. Op., 17113745, ***

T-Sgt. Raymond Van Hunter, Ball Turr. Gnnr, 14160328, ***

Sgt. Lloyd Kennedy, Waist Gnnr, no burial info found

Sgt. Frank J Eichenlaub, Waist Gnnr, no burial info found

Sgt. Earl Edward Whitnack, 39420218, Tail Gnnr, ***

*** Buried at Cambridge American Cemetery, Coton, England.

It should be noted that no information has been found on crew members, Bell, Kennedy, and Eichenlaub, but their names have been confirmed from more than one information source.

Second Lieutenant John Stanley Nierengarden was re-interred at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York in August 1948. His Service Number was O-2064635. He was survived by his parents.

References

From - ancestry.com:

Family Trees

From - Fold3:

Service Record

Online Resources:

357thbombgroupassoc.org

honorstates.org

americanairmuseum.com

Findagrave:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128613929/john-stanley-nierengarden

Findagrave Memorial ID: 128613929

SBTS:

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please email: feedback@storiesbehindthestars.org.

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John S Nierengarden