Louis J. Gendler was born in 1920 in Massachusetts. He resided in Franklin County, Massachusetts prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on April 22, 1942 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a industry clerk and also as Single, without dependents. Louis served as a Sergeant and Photographer on B-24J #42-100249, 425th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Louis was normally assigned to 16th Army Air Force Combat Camera Unit and was assigned to this mission to take photographs.

B-24J #42-100249 took off from Kunming, China on a sea sweep combat mission. They never were heard or seen again and are believed to have crashed at sea. However it was noted as a battle casuality and mentioned that they could have been victims of anti-aircraft fire. The entire crew of 11 were 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.

Louis 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