Bernard John Zawila
Corporal Bernard J. Zawila was a Marine aviator with VMTB-134.
He was killed in a training accident near Goleta, California, on 4 August 1943.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 425509
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
CONUS Loss
Because this individual died within the limits of the continental United States, they are not tracked by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
August 24, 1921
at LaSalle, IL
Parents
Paul Zawila (d. 1921)
Sophie (Swobodzinski) Zawila
later Mrs. Sophie Swierkosz
Education
Grammar school
Occupation & Employer
Illinois Zinc Company
Service Life
Entered Service
July 16, 1942
at Chicago, IL
Home Of Record
1213 5th Street
La Salle, IL
Next Of Kin
Boot Camp
Officer School
Military Specialty
Aviator / Turret Gunner
Primary Unit
VMTB-143
Campaigns Served
—
Individual Decorations
—
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Bernard Zawila served as a Marine Corps aviator, and received specialized training as a turret gunner He was among the first fliers chosen to build a new torpedo-bombing squadron, VMTB-134, at Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara during the summer of 1943.
On 4 August 1943, Zawila and First Lieutenant Thomas F. Boulware, Jr., took off for a routine formation training flight. Their plane was seen to fall out of formation and plunge into the ocean approximately five miles southwest of Goleta, California. Neither Marine was able to exit the aircraft, and their remains could not be recovered from the crash site.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered.
Memorials
No known memorials.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Sophie Swierkocz.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of the crash, five miles southwest of Goleta, California.
