John McCleary was born in Speaker township, Sanilac county, where he attended Edison school and assisted on his father's farm until the family moved to Yale about six years ago. He worked in Yale Woolen Mills five years before going to Detroit, where he was a machine operator in the Packard Motor Car company at the time of his induction into the Army Air Corps, September 4, 1943. He was acting corporal of a group of selectees who left Port Huron that day to begin training. After receiving basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., he went to gunners' school at Las Vegas in Nevada, where he ranked seventh highest gunner among 475 men.

John served as a Sergeant and Tail Gunner on B-17G "Devil's Luck" #42-32030, 561st Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was hit by German flak and crashed north of Munich, Germany. He is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium. Sgt McCleary 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.fieldsofhonor-database.com