Enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 22 February 1943 at Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Isely Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

On 10 February 1945, he flew as an Aerial Gunner in the tail turret station aboard a Boeing B-29A-10-BN 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.

Photo Note: Pictured is the McGuire aircrew that was lost on 10 Feb 1945. However, the aircraft pictured is Z-Square-2, the "20th Century Limited", s/n 42-24662, which was lost on 27 Nov 1944 with the Irvin aircrew.

http://www.500thbombgroupb29.org/

Sherman E Brown