Date and Place of Birth: September 18, 1921 Iselin, PA Date and Place of Death: February 22, 1944 Irthlingborough, England Baseball Experience: Minor League Position: Pitcher/Outfield Rank: Staff Sergeant Military Unit: 546th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group USAAF Area Served: European Theater of Operations

Metro Persoskie was born in the coal-mining town of Iselin in western Pennsylvania. The town was built at the turn of the 20th Century for the Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal & Iron Company, and the young left-handed pitcher was well-known in the local area, hurling in the company's league. Despite the small size of the town, Iselin had two of its sons, Sig Broskie and Red Tramback, playing in the minor leagues during the 1930s, and in August 1939, Persoskie was recommended to the Brooklyn Dodgers by scout Joseph Rosenberg.

Despite his size (5-foot-9 and 165 pounds) the Dodgers were impressed with Persoskie and coach Charley Dressen made the trip to Iselin to get the youngster's signature. The deal, however, was not as smooth as it should have been.

Rosenberg, who originally discovered the youngster, claimed that the Brooklyn club had promised to pay him $250 if Persoskie signed and he filed a suit against them when they failed to pay. In May 1941, Rosenberg was awarded a verdict of $275.25 against the Dodgers.

Meanwhile, Persoskie went about learning to pitch in the minor leagues. Initially assigned to the Dayton Wings of the Class C Middle-Atlantic League, he was optioned to the Superior Blues of the Class D Northern League before the 1940 season began. Persoskie had an 8-6 won-loss record and a 3.63 earned run average in 20 games on the mound for the Blues, and also played the outfield in 19 games for a .210 batting average.

In 1941, Persoskie joined the Valdosta Trojans of the Class D Georgia-Florida League. In 25 outings he had a 9-7 record and 3.82 ERA, and moved on to the Lancaster Red Roses of the Class B Interstate League in 1942. Persoskie made five appearances for the Red Roses before military service called in July. He trained with the Army Air Force as an aerial gunner and in October 1943, he was assigned to the 546th Bomb Squadron of the 384th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, at Grafton-Underwood in England. Staff Sergeant Persoskie was a waist gunner on a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and successfully completed 14 daytime missions against targets over enemy-occupied Europe.

On February 22, 1944, the 384th Bomb Group's target was the industrial center of Aschersleben, Germany. As B-17s from various bomb groups assembled over England, Persoskie's plane, piloted by Second Lieutenant Sydney R. Jeter, Jr., collided with another from the 303rd Bomb Group. The other B-17 was cut in two at the rear door position and both planes plunged to earth. Only the navigator and bombardier of Persoskie's crew managed to escape, while a waist gunner of the other bomber also parachuted to safety. Seventeen airmen, including Staff Sergeant Persoskie, were trapped inside the stricken planes and perished on impact in the British countryside at Irthlingborough in Northamptonshire.

Metro Persoskie was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Fort Myer, Virginia.