McGrath Gordon J.

Name:

Gordon J. McGrath

Rank:

First Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-708721

Unit:

378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group

Date of Death:

1945-01-15

State:

Indiana

Cemetery:

Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium

Plot:

H

Row:

15

Grave:

42

Decoration:

Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters

Comments:

Gordon J. McGrath entered the military service in Indiana. He served in the 378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group as a First Lieutenant during World War II. On January 15, 1945, 1Lt. McGrath was hit by flak while strafing enemy vehicles hidden in the woods in Germany. His flight was guided in by two reconnaissance F-6 Mustangs, and after strafing repeatedly, Lt. Donald Stoddard, his flight leader, saw McGrath's plane burst into flame from a direct hit of apparently large-caliber flak at between 200 and 500 feet, which blew the rear third of the plane completely off. McGrath's P-47D-22-RE turned into a ball of fire, rolled over and went straight in, killing him. 1Lt. McGrath is now buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, Thunderbolts Triumphant, The 362nd Fighter Group vs Germany's Wehrmacht