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bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force, © 2026 by Robert A. Christiansen​, updated by RAC 30 Dec 2025
The Fifth Air Force WWII History:
  • September 1941 - activated in the Philippine Islands. 
  • December 1941–May 1942 destroyed during the Loss of the Philippines.  
  • 1942 - recreated in Brisbane, Australia. 
  • 1942–45 - served under General MacArthur in the SW Pacific Area Command (SWPAC). 
  • June 1944- assigned as part of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF) June 1944. 
  • subsequently supported operations in the Liberation of the Philippines. 
  • relocated to Japan with MacArthur after WWII ended.
Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force webpage:
  • None at this time.

Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force: 12-01 - WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force: (16 dead, updated 7 Nov 2025)
† Blaylock, Roger Claire, SN 0-701709, US Army Air Force, Greene Co.​
  • 40th Fighter Sqdn., 35th Fighter Gp., Fifth Air Force; based on Morotai Is., Netherlands Indies; Republic P-47 Thunderbolt pilot; FOD/KIA 6 Nov 1944 while returning to Morotai Is. from a mission over the Philippines.
  • ​WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Burd, Ross Darwin, SN 17-038-346, US Army Air Force, Shelby Co.
  • 403rd Bomb. Sqdn., 43rd Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force; based at Jackson Drome, aka 7 Mile Drome, near Port Moresby, Papua, New Guinea; Consolidated B-24D Liberator #42-40934 gunner with pilot Hughie R. Bonner; KIA/FOD 13 Oct 1943; aircraft crashed near Amphlett Islands north of Milne Bay, Papua on mission to Rabaul, Bismarck Is.; crew of 10 all died; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Crose, James Harvey, SN 37-470-848, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 498th Bomber Sqdn., 345th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force; on Liberty Ship SS Thomas Nelson; KIA 12 Nov 1944, Dulag Harbor, Leyte Gulf, Philippines; kamikaze attack, Thomas Nelson survived; 136 died of whom 133 were Air Force.​
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Heberlee, Henry Leroy, SN 17-033-411, US Army Air Force, Guthrie Co.
  • 40th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 317th Troop Carrier Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at Dulag Airfield, Leyte, Philippines; Douglas C-47A Dakota/Skytrain #43-15412 crew chief with pilot Sam T. Barr; d. 5 Mar 1945 en route from Bayug Airfield, Barauen, Leyte to Clark Air Force Base, Luzon, Philippines; aircraft crashed w/ crew of four & one passenger all dead; bodies later recovered.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Jones, Homer Ernest Jr., SN 0-720-519, US Army Air Force, Harrison Co.
  • 8th Combat Cargo Sqdn., 2nd Combat Cargo Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at Biak Is., New Guinea, Dutch Indies; Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota tail number unknown; DNB 3 Feb 1945 Dulag, Leyte, Philippines, another plane taking off veered off the runway and struck Jones' plane, two died; fractured skull; 
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Lacox, Wayne Albert, SN 37-429-902, US Army Air Force, Adams Co.​
  • 403rd Bomb Sqdn., 43rd Bomb Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at Nadzab, New Guinea; Consolidated B-24 Liberator gunner with pilot Walter Cole;  KIA 3 Apr 1944 Nadzab; aircraft crashed on takeoff for bombing raid on Hollandia, Netherlands New Guinea; four died.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Lawton, Kenneth Burdette, SN 0-738-191, US Army Air Force, Cass Co.
  • 822 Bomb. Sqdn., 38th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at 17 Mile Drome near Port Moresby, Papua, New Guinea; North American B-25G-5 Mitchell #42-64827 co-pilot w/ pilot Ralph E. Freek; KIA 16 Jan 1944 near Ulingan Bay, NNW of Madang, Papua, New Guinea; while flying the coastal area searching for Japanese barges, flight was attacked by Japanese fighters, plane crashed on shore killing all six crew;
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force @ Operation Cartwheel
† Lesch, Joseph Ferdinand, SN 37-471-901, US Army Air Force, Harrison Co.
  • 529th Bomb. Sqdn., 380th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at McGuire Field, Mindoro Is., Philippines; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #44-40801 Squaw Peak radio operator with pilot Francis V. See Jr.; KIA 15 Apr 1945 over Formosa on raid to Shinshoshi Airdrome; plane exploded in mid-air from anti-aircraft fire or hit by bomb dropped from a higher aircraft; crew of 11, five died.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Miller, Oliver Oscar, SN 37-267-842, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 500th Bomb. Sqdn., 345th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at Nadzab Air Field complex near Lae, NE New Guinea; North American B-25D Mitchell #41-29992 tail gunner with pilot Thane C. Hecox Jr.; KIA 15 Feb 1944 over Kavieng, New Ireland, Bismarck  Archipelago; SW Pacific; plane lost during mission, all six dead;
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force @ Operation Cartwheel
​† Parker, Arlo Berry, SN 37-195-236, US Army Air Force, Webster Co. 
  • 43rd Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force; DNB 7 Jun 1945, 249th General Hospital, Ft. Stotsenburg, Luzon, Philippines, cerebral hemorrhage.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Peterson, Harlan Howard Luther, SN 0-790-955, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
  • 500th Bomb. Sqdn., 345th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at 7 Mile Drome, near Port Moresby but staging at Dobodura, New Guinea; North American B-25D-1 Mitchell Sorry Satchul #41-30056 pilot; KIA 18 Oct 1943 after skip bombing & strafing attack on Japanese ship at Rabaul, New Britain; unescorted flight of three B-25s attacked by multiple Japanese aircraft, Sorry Satchul and SNAFU shot down, Tondelayo survived; crew of six all killed; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
​† Prather, Max Armond, SN 37-666-888, US Army Air Force, Clay Co.
  • 405th Bomb. Sqdn., 38th Bomb. Gp., detached service with 501st Bomb. Sqdn., 345th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force; North American B-25D Mitchell #41-30604 crew member; d. 30 Aug 1944 Dutch New Guinea; weather reconnaissance flight west from Mokmer Airdrome, Biak Is., Dutch New Guinea to Mapia Atoll, __Asia Is., & Waigeo Is. failed to return; crew of seven lost; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Reestman, Milton Herman, SN 0-675-002, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 823th Bomb. Sqdn., 38th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at Durand Air Field, Port Moresby, Papua, New Guinea; North American B-25 Mitchell #42-64810 navigator wiith pilot George R. Gable Jr.; KIA 2 Feb 1944, Coral Sea off Port Moresby, New Guinea; Gable's plane disappeared carrying seven while searching for B-25G-1 #42-64881 which had earlier disappeared carrying eleven on a flight from Townsville, Australia to Port Moresby; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Rockwell, Harold Ralph, SN 0-782-622, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 360th Service Gp., Combat Replacement Training Center, Fifth Air Force, based at Nadzab Air Field complex near Lae, NE New Guinea; on Douglas C-47B Skytrain/Dakota #43-16204 with pilot Jacob E. "Jack" Wondaal, en route from Nadzab, New Guinea to Port Moresby, New Guinea; DNB 19 Feb 1945, plane crashed near Waa, New Guinea; seven dead, radio operator survived.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Stoltenberg, Kenneth James, SN 0-715847, US Army Air Force, Crawford Co.​
  • 319th Bomb. Sqdn., 90th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force; based on Mindoro, Philippines; Consolidated B-24L2 Liberator #44-49432 Jolly Rogers pilot; KIA  approaching target at Takao, Formosa 18 Feb 1945; aircraft hit by flak, lost left wing, spiraled out of control, crashed and exploded; of 13 on board, five parachuted; of these five, four were captured; of these four, three were later executed.
  • Military Note: Extra personnel were on board because the aircraft was radar-equipped and was carrying the squadron commander.
  • WWII Japan > US Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force
† Wunder, Frank Grant Jr., SN 0-729-400, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 9th Fighter Sqdn., 49th Fighter Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at Dobodura airfields, S of Buna, Papua, New Guinea, staging from Kiriwina Airfield, Trobriand Is.; Lockheed P-38G Lightning #42-12856 pilot; KIA 13 Oct 1943; part of flight of P-38s escorting B-24 bombers for a raid on Rabaul; three P-38s lost, possible collision in cloud bank over Solomon Sea; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force @ Operation Cartwheel