John Joseph Stainker was born on January 22, 1922, in Camden County, New Jersey. He served in the 328th Bomber Squadron, 93rd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner on the B-24 #42-40990 'On the Ball' during World War II.

On January 7, 1944, his crew took off from Station 104 airfield in Hardwick, England, on a mission to bomb the Krupp factories in Ludwigshafen/Mannheim, Germany. On their return from the mission, their plane was shot down by an Fw190 of JG2 at 1:20 PM. Six members were able to bail out and survived, while the three that didn't make it were killed, including SSgt Stainker. Out of the six survivors, two were taken as prisoners.

Stainker is now buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net, www.abmc.gov