Backus, Joseph Bernhard

Rank and Name, Aviation Machinist’s Mate Second Class Joseph Bernhard Backus.

Unit/Placed in, USS Sangamon (CVE-26) Carrier (former Oiler), United States Naval Reserve.

Joseph is born approx. on no record.

Joseph enlisted the service in New York with service number # 6467944.

A returning fighter failed to hook a wire on landing, broke through the barriers, and crashed into parked planes on the forward flight deck. Its belly tank, torn loose, skidded forward, spewing flaming fuel. Fire soon spread among the planes.

When the fires were under control. Seven of the crew died in those eight minutes.

Joseph was died (above) on 25Jan. 1944, he is honored with a Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.

Joseph is buried/mentioned at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu County, Hawaii U.S.A.

Courts of the missing.

Thanks to, http://www.navsource.org/archives/03/026.htm

Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com and ww2-europe.com.

Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.

ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov

Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker

Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/

Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org

POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.

Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano

National Historian