LONG, JOHN W. JR. Aug 8, 1945 age 22 DNB Leyte, PI

JOHN WILLIAM LONG, JR. b. Dec 19, 1922 Detroit d. Aug 8, 1945 Died Non Battle

Dulag Strip, Leyte, PI

2^nd Lt O-2024078 Army Air force 63^rd Squad 403^rd Troop Carrier Group

Buried Manila American Cemetery, Philippines

Parents: John W. Long & Louise Margaret (Dailey)

According news in a wartime edition of Redford’s Outpost newspaper, “A C-47 transport plane pilot, Lt. John W. Long Jr., a Redford High graduate and overseas 16 months, was killed in a plane crash, August 8 on Leyte."

However,  Aviation Archaeological Research accident report for the crash is n a Stinson L-5 plane Serial #42-98700 Squad 9AES Group 571 ASG, pilot Long, John W Jr. PHI Dulag Strip, Leyte. His headstone Record lists 2 Lt 63 SQ 403 Trp Carr Go. Both have date of death as Aug 8, 1945.

The 9 AES (Aeromedical Evacuation Squad) purpose was to evacuate wounded military personnel and civilians from areas of danger to medical facilities using military transport aircraft.  They flew Douglas C-47’s. The ASG is Air Service Group, a designation changed in June 1942 from Air Base Groups.

But what happened in either case is the same: Lt Long, pilot, crash landed following mechanical trouble at the Dulag Strip field. 4 dead.

John Sr. and Louise Margaret were not together formuch time past the birth of son John. While trying to ensure the correct John Long is found, it seems they married 16 July 1922 in Fulton, Ohio. One record indicates John Sr. was born in Ohio, but a later census states he was Canadian.

Meanwhile Louise was busy. Whatever happened to John Sr., Feb 1930 had her marry Harold Crowell and at the census she and her son live with Crowell at 17387 Kentucky St .  but in 1935 they lived in Halifx, Nova Scotia (a possible link to John Sr. being Canadian born?) Then she divorces Harold  in 1939 and marries David Wenzel; in the 1940 census she and John live with him at 16265 Monica. She died 1985 in Florida, last name still Wenzel.

 John Jr registered for the draft on June 28, 1942 and notes his birth date as Dec 19, 1922, same year his parents married. He was 120 lbs, blue eyes, blonde hair and 5’6”. His notify party is Mrs. H.C. Cloutier. This turns out to be Mabel Dailey Cloutier, sister to Louise who lived at 14511 Strathmoor. As her sister, she was also married previously, but only two total marriages. Not wanting to read too much out of an item, it is curios when a person uses non-family for notify party, especially in a situation of unstable family relationships.

 

Unfortunately the activities' of John’s mother Louise are more easily tracked than those of John.