John Modesta was born on February 19, 1921. He was part of a flight crew during drop combat missions in India/Burma Sector in World War II. On 2 May 1944, C-47A, # 42-23520, assigned to 10th Air Force, 443rd Troop Carrier Group, 2nd Troop Carrier Squadron, departed the airfield at Dinjan, India, on a supply drop combat mission. It was last contacted by radio at 1644 hours, over Talanga Gao, Burma at 26º 50’ North & 96º 25’ East. He died during the mission that day. John is now buried in the Woodlawn National Cemetery, Elmira, Chemung County, New York, USA in a common grave with T5 William H. Ruane. He 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.