Joseph B. Tarasewicz was born in 1920 in Pennsylvania. He resided in Union County, New Mexico prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 26, 1942 Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents. Joseph was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant on September 22, 1942. He served as a Staff Sergeant and Engineer / Gunner on B-25D #41-30367, 491st Bomber Squadron, 341st Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-25D #41-30367 took off on December 20, 1943 from Chakulia, India on a bombing Mission over Burma during the war. They were shot down by Japanese ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed approximately 3 miles west of Kalewa, Burma (Myanmar). Three parachutes were seen. Joseph was "Killed in Action" in this crash during the war. He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA in a common grave with his crew on September 24, 1949.

Ssgt Tarasewicz 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