On the left side of a gravel road on the road shoulder.

An inscribed marble marker mounted upright about 3 ft tall on a marble base.

On January 30, 1944, B-24 (42-7730) Plane #30 (718^th Bomber Squadron, 449^th Bomber Group, 47^th Bomber Wing) was flying as part of a 338-plane raid (186 bombers and 152 fighter bombers/escorts) to destroy enemy airplanes and airfields in northeastern Italy. B-24 Plane # 30 flying from the Grottoglie airbase in Puglia, piloted by 1st Lt. Hayward S Wheeler and a crew of 9, was on a mission to bomb the enemy airfield at Campoformido, just southwest of Udine.  On the return trip B-24 #30 was shot down by German fighters crashing near Campolongo with a complete loss of life.  (Missing Aircraft Report {MACR} 2479).

The crew of Plane # 30 consisted of:

Pilot 1st Lt. Hayward S Wheeler O-803918 KIA

Co-pilot 2nd Lt. William N Jarrell O-685273 KIA

Navigator 2nd Lt Norman F Taylor Jr O-809762 KIA

Bombardier 2nd Lt John T McVicars Jr O-734804 KIA

Engineer T/Sgt. Earle A Widden 31095586 KIA

Radio Operator T/Sgt. Reeve A Samson 12468472 KIA

Gunner T/Sgt. Paul G Fleming 11122219 KIA

Armorer/gunner S/Sgt McLay Myron Arthur 35587467 KIA

Ass. Engineer SGT Benedict E Vital 32462692 KIA

Gunner S/Sgt Robert Alexander Borucki 37394538 KIA

During this mission on January 30, 1944, four other bombers and three fighters were also shot down:

B-24H (41-28605) - 449th BG - 718th BS - Plane # 23 "Sinner's Dream"

Exploded in flight over Romans d'Isonzo (GO), after being rammed by a German fighter.

B-24H  (41-29217) - 449th BG - 718th BS - Plane # 18 - (No nickname)

Shot down by German and Italian Fighters, crashed on the island of Morgo – Grado Lagoon (GO)

B-17 G ( 42-31424) – 301st BG - 353rd BS (No nickname)

Damaged, over Lavariano (UD), by the explosion, inside the fuselage, of one of the fragmentation bombs, crashed at

Ca’ Ballo near Malcontenta (VE)

 B-17 F  (41-24395) – 2nd BG - 49th BS “I DO DIT”

Shot down by a rocket thrown by a Bf109,  crashing near Ruda southeast of Campolongo (UD)

 P-47D Thunderbolt (42-75967), 325th FG 318th FS

Damaged by Italian fighters between Palmanova and Grado, crashed into the sea.

P-47D Thunderbolt (42-75982) 325th FG 318th FS

Shot down by fighters, probably Italian, at Sterpo near Flambruzzo.

P-38G Lightning (42-13173), 82nd FG 97th FS

Shot down, probably in the Grado area by a Bf109-G6.

The community of Campolongo placed a plaque remembering the sacrifice of the crew on May 15, 2011.

Special thanks to Mr. Freddy Furlan for his assistance with this site.  Mr. Furlan is  a local Air War Researcher and author of the article “The ‘Flying Fortress” of Campolongo and the Events on January 30, 1944”  published in "Ad Agellum" no. 2 dated December 2009 and with the 449th Bomber Association.

The text on the maker is written in Italian:

IN QUESTO LUOGO DURANTE LA BATTAGLIA AEREA

DI DOMENICA 30 GENNAIO 1944, SI SCHIANTO'

IL BOMBARDIERE AMERICANO B-24 MAT 42-07730

DEL 718^TH SQ  449^th BOMB GROUP

DIECI GIOVANI AVIATORI AMERICANI PERSERO LA VITA

NELL’ ADEMPIMENTO DEL LORO DOVERE

Pilota 1^st Lt. Hayward S Wheeler 

Copilota 2^nd Lt. William N Jarrell 

Navigatore 2^nd Lt Norman F Taylor Jr 

Puntatore 2^nd Lt John T McVicars Jr

Motorista T/Sgt. Earle A Widden 

Op. Radio T/Sgt. Reeve A Samson 

MitragliereT/Sgt. Paul G Fleming

Mitragliere S/Sgt. McLay Myron Arthur 

Mitragliere Sgt Benedict E Vital 

 Mitragliere S/Sgt. Robert Alexander Borucki 

A PERENNE RICORDO DEL LORO SACRAFICIO

E CON PROFONDA RICONOSCENZA, LA COMUNITA’

DI CAMPOLONGO POSE IL 15 MAGGIO 2011

The translation in English:

HERE CRASHED THE U.S. BOMBER

B-24 S/N 42-07730 OF THE 718th SQ,

449th BOMB GROUP DURING THE AIR

BATTLE OF SUNDAY JANUARY 30th

1944, AND HERE TEN YOUNG AMERICAN

AIRMEN LOST THEIR LIVES WHILE

FULFILLING THEIR DUTY.

Pilot 1st Lt. Hayward S Wheeler

Co-pilot 2nd Lt. William N Jarrell 

Navigator 2nd Lt Norman F Taylor Jr 

Bombardier 2nd Lt John T McVicars Jr 

Engineer T/Sgt. Earle A Widden 

Radio Operator T/Sgt. Reeve A Samson 

Gunner T/Sgt. Paul G Fleming 

Gunner S/Sgt. McLay Myron Arthur 

Gunner Sgt Benedict E Vital 

Gunner S/Sgt. Robert Alexander Borucki 

THE COMMUNITY OF CAMPOLONGO

DEDICATES THIS MONUMENT TO THEIR

MEMORY, WITH HEARTFELT GRATITUDE

AND IN ETERNAL HONOUR OF

THEIR SACRIFICE. MAY 15th, 2011.