John Pindroch was born in 1924, in Alabama. He was the son of George Pindroch. He served in the 369th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Left Waist Gunner on B17G "Susan Ruth" #42-31499 during World War II. His plane was shot down and crashed near Macquenoise, Belgium. Surviving the crash, Sgt Pindroch evaded capture with the help of local resistance fighters, who provided shelter and assistance as he awaited the opportunity to escape back to England.

Unfortunately, the safety of Sgt Pindroch and seven other American airmen was compromised after a betrayal by local collaborators. They were captured by German forces, along with two members of the Belgian resistance who had been aiding them. The Belgian resistance members were deported to camps in Germany, where they later died. On April 22, 1944, Sgt Pindroch and the other airmen were taken to a wooded area near Chimay, where they were executed by German troops and buried in a mass grave.

After the war, those responsible for the massacre were prosecuted by Belgian authorities. Sgt Pindroch is now buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands. He was posthumously awarded the Prisoner Of War Medal, Air Medal, and the Purple Heart with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster in recognition of his bravery and sacrifice.