John Edward Ahrendtsen was born on June 21, 1921 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. He was the son of Charles A. Ahrendtsen and Harriet Ahrendtsen. He resided in Essex County, New Jersey prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on October 23, 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Machinist and also as Single, without dependents. John served as a Private First Class and Radio Operator on C-46A #42-60950, 1337th Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-46A #42-60950 took off from Sookerating Air Force Station in India on a cargo mission to Chanyi, China. They apparently crashed due to heavy thunderstorms somewhere in China during the war. The entire crew of 3 was lost. He was declared "Missing in Action" on April 11, 1946 and is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

He He was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov