Felix Gabaccia
Sergeant Felix Gabaccia was a Marine aviator who flew with VMTB-143 during the Solomon Islands campaign.
His aircraft was shot down over Kahili airfield, Bougainville, on 4 November 1943.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 429763
Current Status
Remains not recovered
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
May 22, 1924
in New York, NY
Parents
Giuseppe “Joseph” Gabaccia
Maria (Stratta) Gabaccia
Education
Roeliff Jansen High School (1941)
Occupation & Employer
Larchmont Yacht Club
Service Life
Entered Service
July 23, 1942
at New York, NY
Home Of Record
Copake Falls, NY
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr. Joseph Gabaccia
Military Specialty
Aviation radioman
Individual Decorations
Commendation Ribbon
Purple Heart
Loss And Burial
Personal History
Felix Gabaccia was born in Manhattan, New York, on 22 May 1924. He was the son of Maria and Giuseppe “Joseph” Gabaccia and grew up in Queens with his brothers John and Remo. In the early 1940s, the family moved to New York’s Hudson Valley and settled in Ancramville. The boys attended Roeliff Jansen High School; Felix graduated in 1941 and found work with the Larchmont Yacht Club. He was working there on his eighteenth birthday, and his Selective Service registration indicates that he was living at the club.
Felix enlisted on 23 September 1942 and was sent to Parris Island for boot camp. He volunteered for aviation training and was accepted to radio school in Jacksonville, Florida, where he proved to be a quick study. He reached the rank of sergeant by the summer of 1943, just before deploying overseas.
Gabaccia joined VMSB-132 in July 1943 and began flying combat missions out of Guadalcanal. When the veteran squadron rotated home in October, Gabaccia was transferred to VMTB-143 for a second tour of duty.
The forward echelon of VMTB-143 was stationed at Munda Airfield, and Sergeant Gabaccia was soon flying missions over the northern Solomon Islands. His TBF Avenger crew consisted of pilot 1Lt. John W. Tunnell and PFC Billy M. Black on the turret guns.
Circumstances Of Loss
On 4 November 1943, VMTB-143 participated in a strike against Kahili airfield on the island of Bougainville. Tunnell, Gabaccia, and Black were aboard TBF-1 #24195, which bore squadron number 15.
Over the target, #15 was seen to smoke and catch fire. Other aviators watched as Tunnell yanked the big plane out of its dive, straining to gain a few thousand feet of altitude. Three small figures jumped from the Avenger, and three parachutes were seen to open before the plane slammed into the water and disappeared.
Tunnell, Gabaccia, and Black were reported as missing in action and carried as such until the war ended. Repeated searches failed to uncover any clues as to their ultimate fates, and they were declared dead on 11 January 1946.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of father, Mr. Joseph Gabaccia.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of the old Kahili airfield, Bougainville.
