Frank Fernandez

Enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 14 September 1940 at Moffet Field near the south end of San Francisco Bay, California. Completed flight training and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.  Underwent B-29 aircraft transition and combat crew training at Walker Army Airfield, Kansas. In September 1944, deployed to the Central Pacific Theatre of Operations and was assigned to 20th Air Force, XXI Bomber Command, 73rd Bomb Wing, 500th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), 881st Bomb Squadron stationed at Isley Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.  On 10 February 1945, he flew in the right seat as a Pilot aboard a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Tail Code: Z-Square-13 (Serial #42-93876).  It was one of 120 aircraft launched in a multi-wing group formation to bombard the Nakajima Aircraft Assembly Plant at Ota on the northwest side of Tokyo, Japan.  While over the target area, the group was attacked by a band of Nakajima Ki-44 single-engine “Tojo” fighter planes.  His B-29 aircraft suffered damage to the right wing and the #3 engine trailed heavy smoke.  He was last sighted by A-Square-43 at a geographic location of 35+45N, 141+25E approximately 80 nautical miles east of Tokyo.  He was killed when his aircraft was forced to ditch on the return route to Saipan.