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TSgt Joseph Paul Kurta
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TSgt Joseph Paul Kurta Veteran

Birth
Mahoning County, Ohio, USA
Death
26 Jan 1946 (aged 25)
Arunachal Pradesh, India
Monument
Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines Add to Map
Plot
Tablets of the Missing
Memorial ID
View Source
TSGT USAAF WWII MIA-KIA
308th BG, 425th B Sq
Radio Operator

TSgt Joseph P Kurta was the son of Joseph Kurta and Anna (--?--) Kurta who lived in Berlin, Mahoning County, Ohio. His siblings were William, Helen, Mary, Anna, and Dorothy. He entered the service 30 November 1942 at Cleveland, Ohio. At the time, he was residing in Mahoning County, Ohio, had completed four years of high school, was single with no dependents, and in his civil life had worked in the production of industrial chemicals.

This plane, B-24J #42-73242 ‘Haley's Comet', and its crew were assigned to the 308th Bombardment Group, 425th Bombardment Squadron took off from Kunming Airfield in China on a routine flight to Chabua Airfield in India. Three planes and crews were lost that day. In the book ‘China Up And Down' by John T Foster, he writes, ‘Disastrous Day Over Hump!' The plane was named after Lt Roger P Haley, Pilot, who was not on the plane the day it went missing. Instead, his replacement was Major Harry Musinski.

The wreckage of this aircraft was located January 2011 by Clayton Kuhles of miarecoveries.org in Damrah, Arunchal Pradesh State, India.

The crew members were~
Major Harry Musinski, Commanding Officer and Pilot, from Gardner MA
2nd Lt Toney W Gochnauer, CoPilot, from Arlington VA
2nd Lt John B Frazier, Navigator, from Winnebago IL
2nd Lt George R Maupin, Bombardier, from Sharling CO
TSgt Joseph P Kurta, Radio Operator, from Berlin Center OH
TSgt Wellington W Hull, Flight Engineer, from Casselton ND
SSgt John W Karns, Asst Flight Engineer, from Everett PA
SSgt Donah L Adams, Asst Radio Operator, from Lakeview TX
1st Lt Charles P Mortimer, Passenger, from Detroit MI
TSgt Edward W Higgins, Passenger, from Philadelphia PA
TSgt Jack R Ferguson, Passenger, from Sulphur Springs TX
SSgt Robert O Watson, Passenger, from Dallas TX
TSGT USAAF WWII MIA-KIA
308th BG, 425th B Sq
Radio Operator

TSgt Joseph P Kurta was the son of Joseph Kurta and Anna (--?--) Kurta who lived in Berlin, Mahoning County, Ohio. His siblings were William, Helen, Mary, Anna, and Dorothy. He entered the service 30 November 1942 at Cleveland, Ohio. At the time, he was residing in Mahoning County, Ohio, had completed four years of high school, was single with no dependents, and in his civil life had worked in the production of industrial chemicals.

This plane, B-24J #42-73242 ‘Haley's Comet', and its crew were assigned to the 308th Bombardment Group, 425th Bombardment Squadron took off from Kunming Airfield in China on a routine flight to Chabua Airfield in India. Three planes and crews were lost that day. In the book ‘China Up And Down' by John T Foster, he writes, ‘Disastrous Day Over Hump!' The plane was named after Lt Roger P Haley, Pilot, who was not on the plane the day it went missing. Instead, his replacement was Major Harry Musinski.

The wreckage of this aircraft was located January 2011 by Clayton Kuhles of miarecoveries.org in Damrah, Arunchal Pradesh State, India.

The crew members were~
Major Harry Musinski, Commanding Officer and Pilot, from Gardner MA
2nd Lt Toney W Gochnauer, CoPilot, from Arlington VA
2nd Lt John B Frazier, Navigator, from Winnebago IL
2nd Lt George R Maupin, Bombardier, from Sharling CO
TSgt Joseph P Kurta, Radio Operator, from Berlin Center OH
TSgt Wellington W Hull, Flight Engineer, from Casselton ND
SSgt John W Karns, Asst Flight Engineer, from Everett PA
SSgt Donah L Adams, Asst Radio Operator, from Lakeview TX
1st Lt Charles P Mortimer, Passenger, from Detroit MI
TSgt Edward W Higgins, Passenger, from Philadelphia PA
TSgt Jack R Ferguson, Passenger, from Sulphur Springs TX
SSgt Robert O Watson, Passenger, from Dallas TX

Gravesite Details

Entered the service from Ohio.


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  • Maintained by: B24CoPilotNiece
  • Originally Created by: War Graves
  • Added: Aug 8, 2010
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56765456/joseph_paul-kurta: accessed ), memorial page for TSgt Joseph Paul Kurta (21 Sep 1920–26 Jan 1946), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56765456, citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines; Maintained by B24CoPilotNiece (contributor 47391745).