Ronald Gene Sorensen was born on 25 February 1920 to Ronald and Alice Telford Sorenson of Grace, Idaho. Five years later, Ronald’s sister, Mavis, was born. The family lived in Idaho through their children’s school years. Later in their marriage, Ronald and Alice lived in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ronald Gene graduated from Grace High School. He attended the University of Idaho at its southern branch in Pocatello.

Young Sorensen entered as a private with the Idaho National Guard on or about 1 April 1941 and first trained with field artillery. He went on active duty with the 183rd Field Artillery in March 1941. But his military aspirations changed.

In May 1943, Private Sorensen transferred to the United States Army Air Forces for bombardier training at Fort Warren, Wyoming and Fort Lewis, Washington. He received his commission as Second Lieutenant at Big Springs, Texas, 7 October 1943. 2LT Sorensen was attached to the 450th Bomber Group, 721st Bomber Squadron, 15th Air Force based in Italy.

The 450th crews flew B-24s on missions. Known unfavorably as “The Flying Boxcar,” the B-24 Liberator was used almost exclusively in most of the European and Pacific Theaters. The aircraft was designed with four Pratt & Whitney 14-cylinder radial engines, rated at 1,200 hp/engine. The plane’s maximum speed was 303 mph at 25,000 feet with a ceiling of 32,000 feet.

The B-24’s range maxed at 3,500 miles with a lower 2,300-mile range. It was capable of carrying up to 5,000 pounds of bombs. The bomb bay could accommodate up to eight 1,600-pound bombs. The aircraft was armed with eleven .50 caliber machine guns distributed among turrets in the belly, dorsal, nose, tail and waist.

The Final Flight

B-24H, #41-28929, R-P&W1830, took off as part of a formation from Manduria, Italy at 0753 in clear conditions. The formation’s destination was the railway marshalling yards, Brasov, Romania. The bombing run was successful, hitting most of its predetermined targets. The B-24H, still in formation among two groups, began its homeward run.

However, Messerschmitt (ME-109) and Fock-Wulffs (FK-190) fighters attacked in force as soon as the American bombers cleared the target area. The B-24H was one of two bombers hit by anti-aircraft fire.

In the MACR #4033, multiple witnesses reported that #41-28929 was hit by enemy aircraft and seen to spiral downward in flames. Eight of 10 crewmen parachuted from the plane, leaving 2LT. Jack E Dyer, pilot, and navigator aboard in an effort to land. But the #41-28929 crashed and its two crewmen were killed at 1129 hours.

The remaining eight individuals, among them 2LT Sorensen, did not survive escape from the plane and were listed as killed in action. 2LT Ronald Gene Sorenson was 24 years old.

His body was recovered for return to Idaho for burial. Awarded the Air Medal, Sorenson was interred at Grace Cemetery, Grace, Idaho on 21 July 1944. He was survived by his parents and sister.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This national effort of volunteers is writing the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen servicemen and women here on Fold3. **Can you help write these stories? **Related to this work, a smart phone app will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen individual’s name and read his/her story.

References:

1930 United States Federal Census.

1940 United States Federal Census.

Ronald Gene Sorensen. Field Artillery Portrait. Collection of slswensen, 24 November 2009.

Ronald Gene Sorensen. Photograph. Headstone. Collection of Bill E. Doman.

http://acepilots.com/planes/b24.html

https://jackdyerwwii.weebly.com/april-16-1944.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11840847/ronald-g.-sorensen

http://www.450thbg.com/real/macr/holder/4033.shtml

U.S., Newspapers.com, Obituary Index, 1800s to current.

U.S., Rosters of World War II Military Dead, 1939-1945.

Utah, U.S., Military Records, 1861-1970.

U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970.

Ronald G Sorensen