Michael Anthony Romano was born on November 14, 1921, in Bojano, Provincia di Campobasso, Molise, Italy. He was the son of John Romano and Celeste Romano. He served in the 600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Waist Gunner of B-17 #42-97399 during World War II.

On August 8, 1944, during a bombing mission over France, the aircraft took off from Station 131 in Nuthampstead, Hertfordshire, UK. At 12:53 PM, while flying near La Chapelle-Engerbold in the commune of Condé-sur-Noireau (roughly 6 kilometers to the northwest), it was struck by German anti-aircraft fire. A direct hit between engines #1 and #2 set the wing ablaze, causing the aircraft to lose control and crash. Of the nine crew members on board, seven were killed in action, while the remaining two survived and were captured as prisoners of war.

SSgt Romano was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial, Saint-James, Departement de la Manche, Basse-Normandie, France. Michael A. Romano'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