John served as a Technician Fifth Grade, 1671st Ordnance Supply Company, Aviation, U.S. Army Air Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Skagit County, Washington prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on January 28, 1942 at Fort Rosecrans, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Filling Station Attendant and also as Single, without dependents.

John was a passenger on B-17 "Ready Freddie" #42-102937.

He died in the "Line Of Duty" when the B-17, while landing at Duxford Airfield, England, clipped a warning beacon on the tower and rolled over on its back and hit an 83rd Fighter Squadron barracks during the war.

Fourteen airmen perished in this accident. Four Crew Members on the B-17, 9 passengers on the B-17, and 1 airmen in the barracks. (see below).

Service # 19068190

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bradburn, Francis J ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, Maryland

Edwards, Wilbur K ~ Pfc, Passenger, Missouri

French, Donald ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, Nebraska

Gorman, John D ~ T/5, Passenger, Washington

Hamilton, John F ~ Corp, Passenger, Pennsylvania

Heil, James A, Sr ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, Pennsylvania

Loguidice, Anthony C ~ Corp, Passenger, New York

Mintz, Victor L ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, North Carolina

Putnam, John B, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, Ohio

Sasser, James D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Tennessee

Seesz, Ellsworth J ~ Sgt, Passenger, Minnesota

Smith, Martin H, Jr ~ 1st, Passenger, Iowa

Taylor, Ernest ~ Sgt, "In Barracks", Tennessee

Wojcicki, Frank L ~ Pvt, Passenger, Ohio

( Bio & Listing by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )

Source: Find A Grave Memorial: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56290152/john-d-gorman

This story became part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

John D Gorman