Name:
John Homer, Jr. Erhardt
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Serial Number:
13023397
Unit:
550th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1944-02-21
State:
District of Columbia
Cemetery:
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
Plot:
Section 12
Row:
Grave:
8122
Decoration:
Comments:
John Homer Erhardt, Jr. was born on June 9, 1920, in Washington, District of Columbia. He served in the 550th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner on the B-17 #42-31370 during World War II. On February 21, 1944, bombers were returning to the 385th Bomber Group's base at Great Ashfield, England, from a raid on targets in Germany. 1Lt Pease, pilot of the B-17 #42-37963, lost control of his airplane in the clouds and collided with his airplane in a formation. Both aircraft crashed into the marshes at Reedham, and all of the crew members of both airplanes were killed.
SSgt Erhardt is now buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.