Alphonse B. Kupchun was born in 1920 in New Hampshire. He resided in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on May 1, 1942 in Manchester, New Hampshire. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the manufacture of boots and shoes and also as Single, without dependents. Alphonse served as a Corporal and Radio Operator on C-46A #41-24739, India-China Wing, Air Transport Command, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

C-46A #41-24739 took off from Chanyi, China on a flight to Misamari, India. They never reached their destination and were recorded as missing on January 29, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until April 10, 1945. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Alphonse 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