John C. Halsell was born on December 8, 1917. He was the son of W. C. Halsell and Annette Marbury Halsell. He resided in Pulaski County, Arkansas prior to the war. John served as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot on B-25H #43-4610, 11th Bomber Squadron, 341st Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-25H #43-4610 took off, with a crew of 5 & other B-25's, from Lingling, China on a combat mission over Anjen, China. They last reported via radio that they were having problems and for the rest of the B-25's to proceed as scheduled. They were not seen nor heard from again. The entire crew was lost on August 28, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 18, 1946. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He also has a cenotaph located in Roselawn Memorial Park, Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas.

He was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov