Daniel R Ahern Jr

Daniel Richard Ahern, Jr.

Brooklyn, NY

b. 30 August 1921

Enlisted as a Private in the Army Air Corps on 7 Aug 1942 at New York City, New York (ASN: 12120783).

Completed flight training and was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the U.S. Army Air Forces (ASN: O-814845).

Selected for Boeing B-29 aircraft transition and assigned to the 326th AAF Base Unit Combat Crew Training Squadron, 323rd Combat Crew Training Wing (VHB) at MacDill Field near Tampa, Florida.

On 24 April 1945, he flew in the left seat as the Pilot aboard a B-29A-10-BN Superfortress, serial #42-93922.  It was on a combat crew training mission in the Gulf of Mexico.  However, it crashed due to mechanical failure approximately 100 miles southwest of Key West, Florida.

The Bombardier (Matthews) and Navigator (Jiler) were rescued the next day when they were spotted by the U.S. Navy Blimp K-54, which directed rescue ships to the crash site at a geographic location of 23-29N 83-01W.  The body of the Radio Operator (Phillips) was also recovered.  All other crew members were initially declared MIA.