John Bejian was born at Providence, Rhode Island on June 12, 1921. His family and friends called him Johnny. He was one of three children of Charles Garabed Bejian (10 Feb 1883 – 11 Sep 1974), who was born at Palu, Armenia (now Turkey); and Margaret Tashjian Bejian (1897 – 1967), who was born in Armenia. It appears that his parents immigrated to the United States about 1920. He had two sisters: Peggy A. Bejian (25 Mar 1920 – unk), who was born in Armenia (possibly Syria); and Valencia (Bejian) Acciaioli (6 Nov 1926 – unk), who was born in Rhode Island. In 1935 the family lived at 518 Cranston Street, Providence, Rhode Island, and his father was a restaurant cook. In 1940 the family lived at 120 Ellery Street in Providence, and his father was a laborer working for WPA Park Maintenance. His father later owned and operated a grocery store on Union Avenue in Providence. His family attended Saints Sahag & Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church in Providence.

He graduated from Central High School in Providence in June 1939, where he was a scholar-athlete and class president. After high school he worked for a jewelry manufacturing company, and later for the Nicholson File Company in Providence, a producer of machine-made files. He registered for the draft at Providence, Rhode Island on February 16, 1942. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 145 pounds, and had brown eyes and black hair. He was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Providence on August 25, 1942.

He completed Army Air Forces navigation training in Class 43-17 at Selman Field, Monroe, Louisiana, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on December 24, 1943. His Army serial number changed from 11096436 to O-703927 at that time. He was then assigned as navigator on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Henry L. Duerr in the 836th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group. The Duerr crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 42-52761 from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived at Lavenham by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

On June 20, 1944, Lt Bejian flew as lead navigator with the Edgar L. Fuller crew, 836th Bomb Squadron, aboard B-24H 42-52625. Lt Fuller's crew led the 487th Bomb Group formation on this mission, with air leader Major Lyndall J. 'Si' Avery in the copilot seat. Here is a partial roster of the Fuller crew on that day:

• Fuller, Edgar L – 2/Lt – Pilot – Safe
• Avery, Lyndall J – Capt – Air Leader – Safe
• Parris, Howard L – Lt – Navigator – Safe
• Bejian, John – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Walters, Lester R – 1/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Schaffer, Charles L – Sgt – Radio Operator – Safe
• Brown, Melvin R – T/Sgt – Engineer – Safe
• Drake, Bruce M – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – WIA, Safe
• Thomas Jr, Eldridge W – 2/Lt – Copilot/Officer Tail Gunner – Safe

The target was an oil refinery at Misburg near Hanover, Germany. Lt Bejian was killed in action during the bomb run when flak penetrated the nose of the aircraft and struck him in the head. His body was returned to Lavenham and buried at Cambridge American Cemetery near Madingley, England. S/Sgt Drake, the ball turret gunner, was wounded by flak but survived.
Lt Bejian's remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at North Burial Ground in Providence, Rhode Island on July 13, 1948. He is buried next to his parents in the Bejian family plot. His name is inscribed on the Rhode Island World War II Memorial in Providence that was dedicated on November 11, 2007.

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com