Sylvester Vincent Lello was born on August 8, 1921, in Dupont, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Anna Amicarelli Lello. He entered military service on August 15, 1942, received training at Caldwell College in Boise, Idaho, and later departed from Lincoln, Nebraska, for overseas assignment. He served in the 703rd Bomber Squadron, 445th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Nose Turret Gunner of B-24 #42-51532 nicknamed "Hot Rock" during World War II.

On September 27, 1944, “Hot Rock” departed RAF Tibenham, England, as part of a bombing mission against targets in the Kassel, Germany area. During the operation, the 445th Bomb Group became separated from the main bomber stream and was left exposed to concentrated German fighter attacks. Under intense aerial assault and without effective escort, Hot Rock was shot down over central Germany during the fierce air battle that inflicted devastating losses on the group that day. The destruction of the aircraft was officially recorded in its U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report and formed part of the catastrophic Kassel mission, one of the heaviest single-day losses suffered by a U.S. heavy bombardment group in the European air war.

SSgt Lello was killed in action and is now buried alongside his fellow crew members, 1Lt Mowat, 2Lt Smets, and FO Spingler at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA. He also has a cenotaph in Denison Cemetery, Pennsylvania.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report (MACR)