Emile A. Larrecou, Jr. was born in 1921 in California. He resided in San Francisco County, California prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on April 9, 1942 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Teacher and also as Single, without dependents. Emile served as a First Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on B-25J #43-27810, 490th Bomber Squadron, 341st Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Forced during World War II.

B-25J #43-27810 took off, with a crew of six and other B-25s, from Hanchung, China on a low level strafing and bombing mission over the Sincheng railroad bridge in China. After making a successful bombing run B-25J #43-27810 then returned to the railroad bridge and strafed railroad cars. They were apparently hit by ground anti-aircraft fire and ended up crashing approximately two miles southeast of the railroad bridge. The entire crew was lost. Emile was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Emile 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.

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