Paul J. Koerner was born in 1916 in Delaware. He resided in Washington County, Maryland prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 10, 1940, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Office Clerk and also as Single, without dependents. Paul served as a Technical Sergeant and Gunner on B-24J #42-100040, 374th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

B-24J #42-100040 took off from Changkung, China on a combat / sea search mission over and near Hainan, Island. They are believed to have been shot down and crashed at sea. Paul was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Paul was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also 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