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| Captain Wilson Currier was a B-29 pilot operating out of Saipan in the 873rd Bomb Squadron. He flew Joltin' Josie on his final mission. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56128094 http://www.flyingtigerantiques.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=fta&Product_Code=afsq20873bs2&Category_Code=03afsq https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/b-29/boeing-b-29-bomber-joltin-josie-the-pacific-pioneer-nose-art/ |
Wilson Callerman Currier, Jr. never had a chance to reach 100 years old today (his mom lived to be 97). Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on November 23, 1917 in Missouri. His mother Pearl was born in Illinois and his father Wilson was born in Kansas. His father worked as an oil lands speculator and later as an oil well driller. Wilson had one older sister and two younger sisters. He spent his teenage years in New Mexico and completed two years of college at University of New Mexico.
He enlisted in the Army Air Forces on March 17, 1941. After earning his wings he was a stateside instructor pilot and flying school supervisor. He married Oneata Young on October 20, 1942.
He became a captain and pilot in the 873rd Bombardment Squadron, 498th Bombardment Group, 20th Air Force which was equipped with B-29 Superfortresses.
The 498th Bombardment Group was created in November 1943 and was the second unit equipped with B-29s. It began operating out of Saipan in September 1944. Captain Currier arrived in October. By November the 498th BG began regular bomb missions to Japan.
On April 1, 1945 Captain Currier was the pilot of Joltin' Josie. The target that day was the Nakajima aircraft plant in Tokyo. Joltin' Josie was one of 114 B-29s assigned to this mission. Six planes were lost, including Captain Currier's plane. Shortly after takeoff there were fumes reported in the cockpit. It exploded and crashed into the sea. None of the eleven men on board were found.
Captain Currier is remembered at the Honolulu Memorial. He has a cenotaph grave at Santa Fe National Cemetery in New Mexico. If it is the same Oneata Young, she remarried after Wilson's death and died in 1973.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100
RIP
ReplyDeleteRIP Captain
ReplyDeletethank you
ReplyDeleteWilson was my First cousin. I spent numerous hours with his sister Helen - both in New Mexico and in Lewiston, Idaho. Helen had moved to Missoula MT. a few years go. Before she passed away we exchanged many letters and met a couple of times. She was so very proud of her brother and spoke so lovingly of him and of their times in the theater group they participated in while attending college in New Mexico. I presently volunteer at a Habitat for Humanity store and have a 'pal' there that served as a seebee at Tinian Island during the time that Wilson flew out of Saipan. He spent many hours - some fruitless - trying to rescue downed B-29 crews that were forced to ditch near Tinian and between Saipan. The CBs had built a small motor-powered boat for the attempts but it proved to be unreliable most times. I have wondered if possibly fate put us together in memory of Wilson and all the other brave airmen that flew these dangerous missions from the Marians and Japan. RIP brave men. George Currier
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