Franklin D. Sturtevant was born in 1920 in Maine. He resided in Oxford County, Maine prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on July 17, 1941, prior to the war, in Portland, Maine. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents. Franklin served as a Staff Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-24 "Poco Moco" #44-49451, 375th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-24J #44-49451 took off, with a crew of 6, from Hsinching Airfield, Szechuan Province, China on a routine fuel haul mission to Rupsi, India. They were last contacted by radio reporting they were over Shingbwiyang, Burma. They never arrived in India. Franklin was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war on August 6, 1945. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until August 7, 1946, 1 year and 1 day after he went missing as was the custom. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Ssgt Sturtevant 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