https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56112702/austin-rodney-keith

Class of 1937 Bangor High School, Maine.

Enrolled at the University of Maine, and during his sophomore year he enlisted (31041637) in the Army on 27 January 1942 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

Initial assignment was at Fort Eustis, Virginia; where he was selected for the USAAF Aviation Cadet Program.

Aviation Cadet preflight classification at Santa Ana Army Air Base, California.

Primary at the Visalia-Dinuba School of Aeronautics Contract Flying School, California.

26 July 1942: Basic with Class 42-K at Sequoia Field, California.

Advanced with Class 42-K at Luke Field near Phoenix, Arizona.

Flight Instructor Course at Mather Field near Sacramento, California.

B-17 Flying Fortress Pilot at Carlsbad AAF, New Mexico.

Four-Engine Flight Instructor at Hobbs AAF, New Mexico.

B-29 aircraft transition and combat crew training at Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas.

MACR #12722

World War II Missing In Action or Buried At Sea (wwiimemorial.com)

APC Pilot: O-733909Austin Rodney Keith 1Lt ME 25-FEB-1945 B-29 #42-63431

Airplane Command Pilot (left seat): Boeing B-29-15-BA Superfortress serial #42-63431 "Ponderous Peg" call sign: A-SQ-44, assigned to the 871st Bomber Squadron, 497th Bombardment Group (VH), 73rd Bomb Wing, XXI Bomber Command, 20th Air Force stationed at Isely Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands; Pacific Theatre of Operations.

Mid-Air Collision (MAC) at the assembly point with A-SQ-45.

MAC with the Jack S. Barnes crew B-29 #42-24803, call sign: A-SQ-45 [2nd], 871st BS, 497th BG, 73rd BW.

Austin R Keith