Rank and Name, First Lieutenant Raymond D. Neal.
Unit/Placed in, 877th Bomber Squadron, 499th Bomber Group (Very Heavy).
Raymond is born approx. on Sep. 22, 1921 in Texas.
Father, Homer R. Neal.
Mother, Golie (Dunn) Neal.
Siblings, No Record Available.
Raymond enlisted the service in Texas with service number # 0-759650.
Raymond‘s Crew-members and their position on-board the plane a B-29 were,
Capt. William W. Canada Pilot
2nd Lt. Raymond D. Neal Co Pilot
2nd Lt. Laverne J. Runberg Navigator
1st Lt. Clarence R. Kemnetz Bombardier
2nd Lt. Fred J. MacDonald Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Warren C. Weber Radar Operator
T/Sgt. Earl L. McDaniel Radio Operator
T/Sgt. Jack B. Cannon Jr. CFC Gunner
Sgt. John Liva Left (Waist) Gunner
Sgt. Martin O. Lindquist Right (Waist) Gunner
Sgt. Carl J. Pavia Tail Gunner
1st Lt. Philip B. Finklea Jr. Observer (Passenger)
Raymond was KIA when hit by Anti-Aircraft over the Airport, It left formation broke and crashed in Sea on April 28, 1945, he is honored with a Purple Heart, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Raymond is buried/mentioned at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu County, Hawaii U.S.A.
Courts of the missing.
He also has a Memorial Grave at Forest Park Cemetery, Greenville, Hunt County, Texas, USA.
Courts of the Missing.
Thanks to, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/499th_Bombardment_Group.html
Jean Louis Vijgen, WW2-Pacific Website.
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Philppine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Japan is holding a Memorial for the crew of Salvo Sally (B-29 S/N 42-24699) that was hit with flak on 28 April 1945 after dropping its bombs on the Miyazaki Airfield. The Memorial is 28April2018 and the sole survivor of the ditching is Jack B Cannon (age 93). Jack B Cannon along with Fred MacDonald Jr. (son of the flight engineer) and myself plus Jack’s wife and a relative of Martin Lindquist will attend the memorial to be held at the bombing site. The crew of the B-29 that day are,
Capt. William W. Canada, 1st Lt. Clarence R. Kemnitz, 2nd Lt. Fred J. Mac Donald, 1st Lt. Philip B. Finklea, Jr, 2nd Lt. Raymond D. Neal, 2nd Lt. LaVerne J. Runberg, S/Sgt. Warren C Weber, T/Sgt. Earl L. Mc Daniel, Sgt. John Livak, Sgt. Martin O. Lindquist, Sgt. Carl J. Pavia, T/Sgt. Jack B Cannon, Jr (sole survivor).
Raymond Neal was the Co-Pilot of B-29 Salvo Sally S/N 42-24699 when the plane was shot down over Miyazaki, Japan. He was married to Virginia R Neal at the time of his death on 28 April 1945. Japan has scheduled a Memorial at the Miyazaki Japan Airfield on 28 April 2018.
John Armstrong
