Frank R. Gaetano entered the military service in New York. He resided in Oneida County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on July 7, 1942 in Albany, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents. Frank served as a Staff Sergeant and Asst. Engineer / Gunner on B-24J #42-73430, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-24J #42-73430 took off, with a crew of 11, from Luichow, China on a sea sweep mission over the south China Sea. Over Japanese Shipping they were believed to have been hit by anti-aircraft fire causing them to crash into the sea. The entire crew was lost. He was declared "Missing in Action" on May 20, 1944 and is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Frank 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