Joseph Alexander Heustess Jr. was born on December 28, 1922, in Winnsboro, Fairfield County, South Carolina. He was the son of Joseph Alexander Heustess Sr. and Elise Lawton Coward Heustess. He enlisted in the service on October 21, 1942. He served in the 602nd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, as a Technical Sergeant and Top Turret Gunner of B-17 #42-97266 ''Godfather's Inc'' during World War II.
On April 25, 1945, Godfathers Inc. embarked on its 36th combat mission, targeting the Škoda Armament Works in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia—a significant producer of weapons for the German military. During the bombing run, the aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire (flak), resulting in the failure of engine number two. The damage forced the crew to abandon the aircraft, which ultimately crashed near Litice, close to Pilsen. Three of the eight crew members survived by parachuting out while the remaining were Killed in Action.
TSgt Heustess was Killed in Action and is now buried in the First United Methodist Cemetery, Winnsboro, Fairfield County, South Carolina, USA. Joseph A. Heustess' name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 9, in the top left wing (section A).
Source of information:www.americanairmuseum.com, www.398th.org