1LT. Alexander "Alan" McStea was a Pilot with the 12th Air Force; 57th Bombardment Wing; 310th Bombardment Group; 379th Bombardment Squadron; stationed in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, (MTO).

His Hometown was Swissvale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. His awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross with SIX Oak Leaf Clusters; the Air medal with NINE Oak Leaf Clusters; and the Purple Heart.

379th BS War Diary
30 March 1945
Mission to Rovereto R.R. Bridge, Italy. Flak was intense, heavy, and accurate. One of our aircraft was lost…

379th Mission Report
30 March 1945
Group Mission No.: 902
Target: Rovereto RR Bridge & Gun Positions, Italy
Squadron Mission: 405
Results: Our pattern fell across center of bridge with D/H's (Direct Hits) reported. A second pattern cut tracks to the N. of Target. Other bombs overshot to the East

379th War Diary
CAUALTIES
On 30 March 1945, enemy anti-aircraft fire downed one of our B-25's…the Target was the Railroad Bridge at Rovereto, Italy.

The Crew was as follows:

B-25J; Serial No: 43-27571; MACR: 13451;
P: McStea, Alexander, 1LT; KIA
CP: Uerling, Frank G., 1LT; KIA
B: Greenman, Herman F., 1LT; POW-RTD
RG: Shuster, Theodore G., SGT; POW-RTD
G: Simmons, Roy A., SSGT; POW-RTD
TG: White, Herman E., SSGT; POW-RTD
AP: Barrett, Bernard B., SSGT; POW-RTD

The surviving Crew Members all firmly believed that Lt. McStea stayed at the controls of the plane in a desperate attempt to keep it steady until ALL of his crew had safely bailed out, leaving ZERO time for him to free himself and bail out himself. His body was found in the plane's wreckage at the crash site.

1LT McStea and 1LT Uerling would be the last TWO 379th Squadron Members to be Killed in Action in the MTO

Alexander McStea