Joseph Quinones Bustamante
Sergeant Joseph Q. Bustamante was a Marine aviator with VMSB-236
He was reported missing in action on a mission to Rabaul, New Britain, on 31 January 1944.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 521011
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
March 19, 1925
at Gallup, NM
Parents
Nativo “Nat” Chavez Bustamante
Josefina (Quinones) Bustamante
Education
Details unknown (through grade 11)
Occupation & Employer
Munitions checker
Fort Wingate Ordnance Depot
Service Life
Entered Service
December 11, 1942
at Phoenix, AZ
Home Of Record
514 West Hill Street
Gallup, NM
Next Of Kin
Mother, Mrs. Josefina Bustamante
Military Specialty
Radioman / gunner
Primary Unit
VMSB-236
Campaigns Served
Northern Solomons (two tours)
Individual Decorations
Air Medal
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
Bustamante was credited with a shared aerial victory on 23 January 1944.
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
On 31 January 1944, took off from Munda Airfield in SBD-4 #10555 with a mission to bomb Japanese shipping at Simpson Harbor, Rabaul. Stymied by bad weather over the target, the strike force headed to Tobera Airfield and “racked” their bombs. Japanese fighter planes rose up in defense and “for the first time in this squadron’s experience the Zeros made a concerted head-on run at the SBDs.”
Sergeant Bustamante’s plane was hit on the first pass and dropped out of the formation trailing smoke. The SBD was last seen heading down towards Kabanga Bay. Several minutes later, a radio call reported a plane down “10 miles to sea at a bearing of 114 degrees from Tobera.” Fellow pilots believed this to be the pilot of #10555, Captain Earl D. Hill, but subsequent area searches were negative.
Bustamante was posted as missing after the mission, and declared dead on 16 January 1945.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Josefina Bustamante.
Location Of Loss
Sergeant Bustamante was last seen in combat over Tobera Airfield.
