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| Lt. James Sweeney was the pilot of the B-26 Impatient Virgin. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16038320/james-michael-sweeney http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media?page=6&search=Marauder |
James Michael Sweeney never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on March 21, 1919 in Tucumcari, New Mexico. His parents Alonzo and Mary were both born in Texas. His father worked as a ranch stockman and in the oil fields where he was killed in an accident in 1922. James had an older sister and brother. His mother moved back to Texas with her children. By 1940 James was still living at home and had completed two years of college at the University of Texas, which he attended on an athletic scholarship and where he was a star on the football team. He secretly married Mary Finley in November 1940 (made public the next September). He played his final football game on December 6, 1941. His future plans were forever altered the next day. He graduated from the University of Texas in 1942 with plans to fight for his country.
James enlisted in the Army Air Forces on February 13,1943. He successfully completed flight school and became a first lieutenant and pilot in the 451st Bombardment Squadron, 322nd Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force, which was equipped with B-26 Marauders.
Lt. Sweeney arrived in England in September 1943. He flew 68 combat missions, flying bombers nicknamed Smitty's Folly and Impatient Virgin. On D-Day the 322nd BG attacked coastal defenses and gun batteries. For the next two months it bombed ammunition dumps, bridges, and crossroads.
Lt. Sweeney flew his final mission on the afternoon of August 6, 1944. Flying Impatient Virgin, the target was the fuel dump at Forest d'Andaine, France. Flak knocked out one engine, so Lt. Sweeney tried to make an emergency one engine landing at an Allied airfield in Normandy. Already covered in gas, the plane ran into a fuel tank and exploded. Lt. Sweeney and three others were killed. Two of the crew survived.
His grave is at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo, Texas.
Last year on this date I profiled Clarence Snyder, 21st Photo Recon Squadron. You can read about Clarence here.
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.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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