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NAME Saverio John Rea |
NICKNAME — |
SERVICE NUMBER 371753 |
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| UNIT VMSB-233 Aircrew |
HOME OF RECORD 105 Hill Street Troy, NY |
NEXT OF KIN Mother, Mrs. Josephine Rea |
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| DATE OF BIRTH November 5, 1923 at Troy, NY |
ENTERED SERVICE March 11, 1942 at Albany, NY |
DATE OF LOSS June 9, 1943 |
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| REGION Vanuatu (New Hebrides) |
CAMPAIGN / AREA Espiritu Santo |
CASUALTY TYPE Non-battle death |
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CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS On 9 June 1943, Corporal Rea boarded TBF-1 #06352 along with Major Howard F. Bowker, Jr., 1Lt. Frederick W. Follmer, Jr., and Sgt. Simon E. Goldstein for a training flight. After simulating a bombing run against a group of friendly cruisers, Bowker brought his flyers around the tip of Aoba Island for a second pass. Eyewitnesses later reported that Bowker’s Avenger suffered a “structural failure” on the approach, and that it crashed into the sea about six miles northeast of the fighter strip near Turtle Bay. The plane sank quickly; no survivors were found, and no remains could be recovered. |
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| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS — |
LAST KNOWN RANK Corporal |
STATUS OF REMAINS Not recovered |
MEMORIALS Saratoga National Cemetery Honolulu Memorial |
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Biography:
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