Matthew O. Kelsey was born in 1919 in Washington. He resided in Los Angeles County, California prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 22, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort MacArthur, San Pedro, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents. Matthew served as a Staff Sergeant and Gunner on B-24J #42-100040, 374th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

B-24J #42-100040 took off from Changkung, China on a combat / sea search mission over and near Hainan, Island. They are believed to have been shot down and crashed at sea. Matthew was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war. He is honored on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

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

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