Stanley Andrew Slusarczyk was born at Moon Run, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on April 4, 1921. His parents were Andrew Slusarczyk (29 Nov 1887 – 1964) and Katherine (Paruch) Slusarczyk (1887 – 1950), who were born in Poland. His father immigrated to America about 1913, and his mother about 1914. His parents married about 1917. His father worked as a coal miner, and later as a laborer and coach cleaner for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By 1935 the family home was at 248 Pringle Street, East Carnegie (Pittsburgh), Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, his home of record. He had two sisters: Stephanie M. 'Stella' (Slusarczyk) Kisska (6 Apr 1918 – 15 Apr 1998), who was born at Broughton, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; and Julia M. Slusarczyk (19 Jun 1925 – 14 Jan 2013), who was born in Pennsylvania.

He completed four years of high school and worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad at Pitcairn, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He registered for the draft at Crafton, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on February 16, 1942. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighed 162 pounds, and had brown eyes and brown hair. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 23, 1942, and was called to active duty in February 1943. He went first to the Army Air Forces Classification Center at Nashville, Tennessee. He entered bombardier training and completed the course in Class 43-14 at Midland Army Air Field, Texas. He received his wings and commission there on October 7, 1943.

He was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Lt Norbert H. 'Pete' Riegel in the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. The Riegel crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 42-52651 from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived at Lavenham by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After arrival in England, Lt Slusarczyk was transferred to the crew of Lt Joseph P. Willis in the 838th Bomb Squadron.

On May 29, 1944 the 487th Bomb Group dispatched two Squadrons of B-24s to bomb the oil refinery at Politz, Germany (which is now Police, Poland). After leaving the target, the formation was attacked by German fighters in the vicinity of the rally point. Lt Slusarczyk and eight of his crewmates went missing in action when their aircraft, B-24H 42-52577, was shot down by German Me 410 fighters and exploded over the Baltic Sea within sight of Bornholm Island. Their bodies were never found.

The aircraft was seen going down due north of the target at about 54°02'N, 14°42'E, one to two miles from the coast. Lt Willis assumed a northwesterly course towards Sweden. Witnesses saw fuel leaking from the bomb bay, which appeared to stop when an engine was feathered. The aircraft exploded, and witnesses saw it crash in the Baltic Sea at 1240 hours at 54°47'N, 14°00'E, about 20 miles northeast of Rugen Island, Germany. The navigator, Lt Edgar Allan Grabhorn, was blown clear in the explosion and survived. He was rescued later that day at 1815 hours by the German fishing vessel Oskar Friedrich at 54°39'N, 14°36'E, where he was found floating in a life raft. He became a prisoner of war.

Lt Slusarczyk is memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery. He also has a cenotaph at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Carnegie, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where his parents and sisters are buried.

B-24H 42-52577 crew:
• Willis, Joseph P – 2/Lt – Pilot – MIA
• Wasson, Robert L – 2/Lt – Copilot – MIA
• Grabhorn, Edgar A – 2/Lt – Navigator – POW
• Slusarczyk, Stanley A – 2/Lt – Bombardier – MIA
• Estright, Alfred T – Sgt – Engineer – MIA
• Robinson Jr, Richard S – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – MIA
• Rodgers, Gilbert E – Sgt – Ball Turret – MIA
• Pierson, Robert E – Sgt – Nose Turret – MIA
• Jones, William E – Sgt – Top Turret – MIA
• Donnelly, Robert J – Sgt – Tail Turret – MIA

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