Michael Joseph Lattieri was born in Altoona on Feb. 12, 1921, a son of Donato and Edith (Moyon) Lattieri, and was graduated from Altoona High school in the class of 1940. Prior to entering the service he was employed in the Twelfth street shops of the Altoona works. Sgt. Lattieri was a member of Mt. Carmel Catholic church.

Michael entered the air corps on Aug. 19, 1942, training first as an airplane mechanic and then as an aerial gunner. He had been overseas only a month and a half before being listed as missing. A member of the Fuller crew, he was killed when their plane crashed on July 25, 1943 after a hit from a flak. They went down in the North Sea on the return route after bombs away. SSgt Lattieri's body was never found. His name is commemorated on the Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands. He was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, www.fieldsofhonor-database.com