O'Neal Ira Lee, Jr.

Monuments

398th Bomber Group Memorial Stained Glass Window

Name:

Ira Lee, Jr. O'Neal

Rank:

First Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-809862

Unit:

600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1944-05-19

State:

Florida

Cemetery:

Woodlawn Cemetery, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, US

Plot:

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Purple Heart

Comments:

Ira Lee O'Neal Jr. was born on May 12, 1924. He served in the 600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and Pilot of B-17 #42-97339 during World War II.

On May 19, 1944, during a bombing mission over Berlin, the aircraft was brought down after being struck by anti-aircraft fire and debris from another plane. It crashed near Alt-Rüdnitz, now known as Stara Rudnica, Poland. Out of the ten crew members on board, eight lost their lives, while two survived and were captured as prisoners of war.

1Lt O'Neal was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. Ira L. O'Neal's name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 13, in the top right wing (section B).

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com, www.398th.org