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| 2nd Lt. Jesse Timberlake was a co-pilot in the 99th Bombardment Group based in Italy. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29653059/jesse-h_-timberlake https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=PublicUnitProfile&type=Unit&ID=1393 |
Jesse H. Timberlake never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on December 13, 1919 in Vera, Texas. His parents Charlie and Margaret were also both born in Texas. His father worked as a grocery merchant. Jesse had three older brothers, three older sisters, and one younger sister. By 1940 Jesse had completed four years of high school and was living with his sister's family in Nueces, Texas.
He volunteered for the Army Air Forces on December 31, 1941. He was trained as a co-pilot and became a second lieutenant in the 346th Bombardment Squadron, 99th Bombardment Group which was equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses. The 99th Bomb Group's first missions were based out of North Africa in March 1943. During 1943 most of its targets were in Sicily and Italy. By December 1943 it moved its base to Tortorella, Italy.
Lt. Timberlake shipped out on November 7, 1944 to join his unit.
On December 2, 1944, on what may have been his first mission, the mission target was Blechhammer, Germany, which was a location of chemical plants making synthetic oil. Flak hit the oxygen system on Lt. Timberlake's bomber and the plane went down. It must have exploded on impact because individual remains could not be identified.
The crew is buried in a shared grave in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Lemay, Missouri. His cenotaph grave is at Resthaven Memorial Park in Lubbock, Texas.
Last year on this date I profiled Silver Star hero and B-24 pilot Richard Henning. You can read about Richard 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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