Maj John E Gay (1915-1945) - Find A Grave Memorial

Class of 1933 Lewis and Clark High School, Spokane, Washington.

Class of 1939 Washington State College, Pullman, Washington.

November 1939: 2nd Lt John E. Gay is assigned to the 116th Observation Squadron, Washington National Guard at Felts Field near Spokane, Washington.

23 March 1940: Graduates with Class 40-A at Kelly Field near San Antonio, Texas.

GENERAL ORDERS NO. 19: Executive Orders Number 8530; 116th Observation Squadron is mobilized into active Federal service effective 16 September 1940. 116th Observation Squadron subsequently moved to active duty at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, where it made anti-submarine patrol flights along the coast.

Subsequently assigned as Pilot and 883rd Bomb Sqdn Operations Officer; 883rd Bomb Squadron, 500th Bombardment Group (VH), 73rd Bomb Wing, XXI Bomber Command, 20th Air Force, stationed at Isley Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

Flew as Mission Observer; take-off from Saipan was approximately 1730 hours on the afternoon of 7 March 1945 on Weather Strike Mission #264 to the vicinity of Kure Naval Base near Hiroshima, aboard B-29-45-BW Superfortress, nicknamed Su Su Baby, serial #42-24721 (Z-Square-46).

At approximately 0730 hrs on 8 March 1945, KIA, Z-SQ-46 suffered fuel starvation, ditched in the Pacific Ocean about 120 miles north of Saipan.