Menu
  • Abous us
  • Search database
  • Resources
  • Donate
  • Faq

Nelson Hershel R.

Name:
Hershel R. Nelson
Rank:
Technical Sergeant
Serial Number:
Unit:
373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1943-09-15
State:
California
Cemetery:
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California
Plot:
Section I
Row:
Grave:
176
Decoration:
Comments:

Hershel R. Nelson was born on May 9, 1921 in New York. He resided in Chautauqua County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on July 18, 1942 in Buffalo, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents. Hershel served as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Opertor on B-24D "Mohawk" #42-40786, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-24J #42-40786 took off, with a crew of 10 and 4 other B-24's, from Yangkai Airfield, China on a bombing mission over Hai Phong, French Indochina (Vietnam). The B-24's were intercepted and attacked by approximately 50 Japanese Zeros. B-24J #42-40786 was severely damaged and many of the crew were killed in this attack. Some of the crew were able to bail out. The B-24 ended up crashing. Hershel was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.

Hershel is now buried in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, San Diego County, California, USA. 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 but his name is inscribed as Herschel.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com