George P Demers

Born George P. Demers on 22 February 1924 in Lynn, Massachusetts to parents Peter J. Demers (b. 1902*) and Lillian C. Demers (b. 1901*).

Enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 19 July 1943 at Boston, Massachusetts.  After basic military training, he was selected to attend Davidson College, North Carolina under the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) for academically-talented enlisted men to become a specialized corps of Army officers.  In early 1944, he was reassigned for Aerial Gunnery training at Buckingham Field near Fort Myers, Florida.  Underwent B-29 aircraft transition and combat crew training at McCook, Nebraska and Pyote, Texas.  In March 1945, he out-processed through Herington Air Field, Kansas and deployed from Hamilton Field, California to the Central Pacific Theatre of Operations and was assigned to 20th Air Force, XXI Bomber Command, 73rd Bomb Wing, 500th Bombardment Group (VH), 881st Bomb Squadron stationed at Isley Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.  During the night of 23-24 May 1945, he flew as an Aerial Gunner in the starboard blister station aboard a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Tail Code: Z-Square-7 (serial #42-63486).  It was one of 520 aircraft launched in multi-wing group formations to bombard the urban-industrial area south of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan.  After bombs away, the plane’s right wing was set afire by flak from anti-aircraft artillery.  While departing the target area, the plane was hit with flak in the rear fuselage that destroyed all the flight controls including the intercom.  During aircrew bail-out, the plane exploded in mid-air and fell into Tokyo Bay.  He was declared KIA on 24 May 1945.