Peter Roccia was born in Palermo, Italy on 5 November 1917 to Pietro Roccia (1869-1937) and Anna Rose DeMaio (1872 - 1927)

Peter attended McKinley High School and was attending the National University Law School in Washington, DC and practicing law when called to service in March of 1941.

Military

Peter Roccia service number 0-679657 was assigned to the 36th Bomb Squad, 801st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force trained as a bombardier for the newly rolled out Carpetbagger Missions.

In 1943 the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) -- the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency -- called upon the U.S. Army Air Forces to conduct special operations from the United Kingdom. Aircrews started flying leaflet-dropping missions in October 1943, but plans called for them to fly dangerous, clandestine missions deep into the heart of occupied Europe. The majority of these missions secretly airdropped supplies by night to partisan fighters, under the codename Operation CARPETBAGGER.

As directed by the Combined Chiefs of Staff in September 1943, the 8th Air Force formed the 801st Bombardment Group (Heavy) (Provisional) at Harrington Field, England, from elements of the inactivated AAF Antisubmarine Command. Re-designated the 492nd Bombardment Group in August 1944, this special unit became best known as the Carpetbaggers.

Mission

B-24 Liberator Screamin' Mimi departed RAF Harrington on the evening of 27 April 1944 on a dropping mission to the French Resistance. In unknown circumstances, it crashed in a field located in Saint-Cyr-de-Valorges, about 24 km southeast of Roanne. Two occupants were slightly injured and got away while a third was seriously injured and taken prisoner of war. All five other occupants were killed.

Death

6th and final mission

2Lt. Peter Roccia was killed in action when his B-24 Liberator Screamin' Mimi hit a hill near the Drop Zone, crashed (broke into four main parts), and caught fire at St-Cyr-de-Valorges, in the Loire Department, France.

Burial

2Lt. Roccia was interred at Arlington National Cemetery Sec: 11, Site: 527 NH

He was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.

Ambrose Crew: B-24D Liberator Screamin' Mimi

36th Bomb Squadron, 801st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force

1st Lt George W. Ambrose, pilot,

2nd Lt Robert H. Redhair, copilot,

2nd Lt Arthur B. Pope, navigator,

2nd Lt Peter Roccia, bomber,

S/Sgt Charles M. Wilson, mechanic,

S/Sgt James J. Heffleson, radio operator

Sgt Georges W. Henderson, air gunner

Sgt James C. Mooney

Sources:

Find A Grave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49303810/peter-roccia

American Air Museum in Britain - https://www.americanairmuseum.com/

American Air Museum in Britain - Screamin' Mimi - https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/7503

The Carpetbaggers - https://www.businessinsider.com/operation-carpetbagger-snuck-oss-secret-agents-into-france-during-wwii-2020-9

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at (added by)

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