TSgt. Grant D. "Don" Risa, ASN 19055684
Lts. King and Gebert were shot down 14 Oct 43 while flying with Lt. Harold Goad's crew on a mission to bomb Rangoon. Both were taken as POW. Gebert succombed to wounds he suffered, while King survived and was liberated.
Aerial Gunner - T.F. Smith Crew
10th Air Force / 7th Bombardment Group / 493rd Bombardment Squadron
Enlisted 15 Dec 41 Honorable Discharge: 26 Sep 1946
Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal
World War 2 Victory Medal Purple Heart
Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon w/2 Bronze Stars Good Conduct Medal
(Image/Info Courtesy of Risa Family)
Theodore F. Smith, Jr. & Crew
Back, L-R: TSgt. Robert J. Ternent (RO), SSgt. Francis B. Jordan (G), SSgt. Charles F. Kinsey (G)
TSgt. Edward A. Tholcken (G), TSgt. Howard H. Townsend (E), TSgt. Risa
Front, L-R: 2Lt. Clarence A. King (N), 2Lt. Russell C. Gebert (B)
1Lt. Herbert A. "Tex" Lawrence (CP), 2Lt. Theodore F. Smith, Jr. (P)
Lt. Smith was KIA 14 Nov 43 while flying as co-pilot with Lt. Willis McLoughlin's crew on a mission to Mamyo/Pakokku.
SSgt. Jordan was shot down on 14 Nov 43 while flying with Major Wesley Werner's crew on a mission to Mamyo/Pakokku. He was taken as POW, and succombed to wounds on 27 Nov 43. Following the end of the War, Jordan's remains were among those recovered by crews from the American Graves Registration Service to be returned to the U.S.
On May 17, 1946, a C-47, # 43-48308, was loaded with 12 wooden crates containing the bodies of over 50 deceased Americans exhumed from several cemeteries and crash sites in/near Burma.
On 17 May 46 the C-47 went down en route from Rangoon to Calcutta. Nearly sixty years later, the probable crash site was located. To date, no official attempts have been made to recover the remains of those men lost in the crash.
Dacca, India - Sept. 30, 1944
Back, L-R: TSgt. William O. Brown (RO - Albert Smith Crew), TSgt. Edward A. Tholcken
Front, L-R: TSgt. Grant Risa, SSgt. John N. Gibson (Gunner - Albert Smith Crew)
Tezgoan, India - July 1944
L-R: SSgt. Tholcken, SSgt. James J. Soptick (Gunner - Bodmer Crew), TSgt. Ternent
Soptick was KIA on 22 Oct 44 on mission to Moulmein, Burma
Agra, India - Oct. 6, 1943
Back, L-R: TSgt. Townsend, SSgt. Albert E. "Frenchy" Fournier (Gunner - Albert Smith Crew)
SSgt. John N. Gibson
Front, L-R: SSgt. Kinsey, TSgt. Risa
SSgt. Clarence R. Thomas (Engineer - Albert Smith Crew)
TSgt. Risa's Find-A-Grave.com Memorial
493rd BS Personnel
7th BG Personnel
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