"T.J." Simones was born March 26, 1920 in La Crosse County Wisconsin. He attended St. Mary's grade school, Aquinas Roman Catholic high school located in La Crosse; and then studied at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa for two years.

Enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps on 20 January 1942 at Chicago, Illinois.

Received his Primary flight training at Randolph Field near San Antonio, Texas.

Basic Pilot Class 42-H at Goodfellow Field near San Angelo, Texas.

Advanced Single Engine Flying Training with Pilot's wings and 2nd Lt commission at the Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana in September 1942.

He was promoted First Lieutenant just before leaving Mitchell Field, New York for overseas.

Assigned to the 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 525th Bomb Squadron, "T.J." piloted his B-17F Flying Fortress, named "Rose Olive" after his mother, to RAF Kimbolton, England.

Simones was first reported missing in action (MIA) June 25, 1943 on the first raid over Hamburg, Germany; and later listed as KIA.

Simones' crippled Flying Fortress was last seen with a pack of Focke-Wulf and Messerschmitt German fighters in hot pursuit, going down over cloud-covered Germany.

According to MACR #1365: B-17F serial #42-3023 "Boozeness" (fuselage code: FR-F) was shot down by Hptm. (Capt) Wilhelm Gath of the German Luftwaffe, on 25 June 1943; crashing near Brahe, in the Eastern Friesland coastal region of Germany.

O-664069 Thomas John Simones 1Lt La Crosse, Wisconsin

37137254 Norbert H L Meyer SSgt MO

1 8117408 Joseph P Noonan SSgt TX

12032938 Fred Polcover TSgt Brooklyn, NY

19059044 Norman J Schoolcraft SSgt WA

Thomas J Simones