Richard Joseph Roesch was born on May 19, 1916. He was a son of Anthony and Amelia Roesch. He entered active service with the U.S. Army Air Service on June 19, 1941 at Camp Lee, Virginia. Richard J. Roesch served as a Corporal in the 491st Bombardment Squadron, 341st Bombardment Group, U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II.

On January 9, 1945, a group of B-25 aircraft departed the air field at Yang-ki, China, for a bombing mission to strike Japanese targets located in French Indo-China (now Vietnam). As the formation approached the Red River valley, the ceiling suddenly lowered. Some aircraft attempted to climb above the overcast. B-25 Mitchell #43-4361 disappeared into the clouds and was never seen to emerge. Later, French observers who had been in the area reported "that the aircraft flew into the ground." All 6 crew members were killed inlcuding CPL Roesch.

The French recovered all the bodies and buried them, using the wreckage of the aircraft as a marker. Corporal Roesch's body was later recovered, returned to the U.S., and buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Cpl Roesch 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.togetherweserved.com