LeRoy Segar “Lee” Kussy, Jr. was born at Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois on April 14, 1922. His friends called him Lee. His parents were LeRoy Segar Kussy Sr (9 Nov 1896 – 1953), who was born at Rockford, Illinois; and Ethel Verna (Swanson) Kussy Marofske (2 Feb 1896 – Jun 1981), who was born in Illinois. His parents married at Rockford, Illinois on September 24, 1919, and in 1920 lived at 1730 14th Avenue, Rockford, Illinois.

His parents divorced, and his mother married Harry William Marofske (24 Sep 1896 – unk) about 1929. In 1930 he lived with his mother and stepfather at 3852 Lockwood Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Harry Marofske, his stepfather, was a plumber in the construction industry. His home of record was 4814 Fletcher Street, Chicago, Illinois, his mother's address in 1944.

His father married Florence C. Kussy (abt 1903 – unk) about 1929. In 1942 his father and Florence Kussy lived at 1536 Crosby Street, Rockford, Illinois, and his father was employed by the firm of Simmons, Hazlett, and Erdal at Green River Ordnance Plant (aka Green River Arsenal) in Dixon, Illinois. His father is buried at Scandinavian Cemetery in Rockford, Illinois.

He graduated from Rockford High School, Rockford, Illinois in 1940. He registered for the draft at Chicago, Illinois on June 29, 1942. He was 6 feet tall, weighed 180 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. At that time he lived at 4814 W Fletcher Street, Chicago, Illinois and worked at the A & P grocery store at 3220 North Central Avenue in Chicago.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army by 1943, completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training, and was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of 2/Lt Thomas Womer. In December 1943 the Womer crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the Womer crew was assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 crew training and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 42-52662 overseas from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at U.S. Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

After arrival at Station 137, Sgt Kussy and four of his original crewmates (Musser, Boyd, Lumpkin, and Rosenberger) were reassigned to the crew of Lt Arthur D. Erwin in the 838th Bomb Squadron.

Sgt Kussy and seven of his crewmates were killed in action on June 20, 1944 when their aircraft, B-24H 42-95217, was shot down by flak on the mission to bomb an oil refinery at Misburg near Hannover, Germany. Just after bombs away, the aircraft received a direct flak hit which tore off the tail. The aircraft spun to the ground in flames and crashed five kilometers north of Hannover. The bodies of eight crew members were found in the wreckage. The dead were buried initially at the military cemetery in Hannover-Limmer. S/Sgt Ross, the tail gunner, was able to bail out and landed at Mecklenheide near Hannover. He was captured there and became a prisoner of war.

After the war Sgt Kussy's remains were permanently reinterred at Ardennes American Cemetery, Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium.

B-24H 42-95217 crew:
• Erwin, Arthur D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Mackie, Thomas S – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Musser, Elmer G – S/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Boyd, Leslie L – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Lumpkin, Claude L – S/Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Kussy Jr, Leroy S – Sgt – Top Turret Gunner – KIA
• Rosenberger, Jearold F – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Ross, Albert L – S/Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner – POW

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com