Irwin G. "Zipper" Zaetz was born on November 2, 1917 in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont. He served in the US Air Corps as a First Lieutenant and Navigator of a B24J aircraft during World War II. The plane, B-24J #42-73308, and its crew were assigned to the 308th Bombardment Group, 425th Bombardment Squadron. It was nicknamed ‘Hot As Hell' with a seated woman on the right side of the nose. This B-24 flew more than 14 combat missions and claimed four fighters. The aircraft took off from Kunming Airfield in China on a routine flight to Chabua Airfield in India. The wreckage was located on December 7, 2006 by Clayton Kuhles of miarecoveries.org in Damrah, Arunchal Pradesh State, India.

First Lieutenant Zaetz is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He also has a cenotaph located in Hebrew Holy Society Cemetery, South Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont. He 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