Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara, An Airman's Story
Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara, An Airman's Story
Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara was born on February 19, 1920, in Pollagh, Ireland.
Just one month later, he immigrated with his family to the United States aboard the SS Baltic, and he grew up in Parma, Ohio.
In response to World War II, McNamara enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces on March 19, 1942, and trained as an aerial gunner. He was assigned to the 11th Bombardment Group and deployed to the Pacific theater.
On May 27, 1943, while on a rescue mission, his B-24 bomber, nicknamed the Green Hornet, crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Of the crew, only McNamara, First Lieutenant Russell Allen Phillips, and First Lieutenant Louis Zamperini survived the crash. Stranded at sea on life rafts, the three men endured extreme hunger, thirst, and exposure.
After 33 harrowing days adrift, on June 30, 1943, Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara passed away from starvation and exposure. His companions buried him at sea. He is memorialized in the Court of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, a solemn reminder of his sacrifice.
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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.
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