499TH BOMB GROUP ( VERY HEAVY )

AIRCRAFT COMMANDER

SERIAL NUMBER

NICKNAME

RUBINSTEIN

42-65344

BALL OF FIRE

 

SSgt Alfred J McNamara was born in Bonesteel, South Dakota in 1924. The family was in O'Neill, Nebraska in the 1930 Census and by 1940 had moved to Valentine, Nebraska.

Following his graduation from Valentine High School in 1942, he travelled east to Omaha where be began his college days at Creighton University in the Fall of that year. He enlisted in the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps in November 1942 and was called to active duty in February 1943.

According to his Station List which is below, his first assignment was with the 342nd College Training Detachment at Washington University, St. Louis. In June 1943 he was sent to San Antonio followed by a transfer to Sheppard AAF, Wichita Falls, in July 1943.

In August 1943 he attended the Radio School at Sioux Falls South Dakota followed by a second radio school at Truax AAF in Wisconson in January 1944.

SSgt McNamara would have joined the 1st Lt Douglas H Rubinstein,Jr, Crew ( 499th Bomb Group ) at either Clovis or Smoky Hills AAF. There is no information available as to when the Crew departed Smoky Hills Army Air Field.


Updated 3 September 2022

In his five page diary within the

Diary and Photos section

SSgt McNamara wrote that the crew departed Mather AAF, Sacramento, California,
on 17 December 1944
and arrived on Saipan 22 December 1944

B-29 V-52 was shot down the night of 13-14 April 1945 and SSgt McNamara was only the survivor.

He was captured and sent to the Tokyo Military Prison where he died in the fire raid on
25-26 May 1945.

There is very little information about SSgt McNamara. His IDPF contains 104 pages and in there are no letters to or from his parents to the US Army.

In 1956 his brother, A2c Patrick V McNamara, did write the US Army in an attempt to learn where his brother was buried. These letters can be found in the
Correspondence Section

Below is his Memorial Certificate from the
American Battle Monuments Commission

His station list

and two pages from one of the Class Books at Sioux Falls Radio School

More of these Class Books can be found at the
US Army Air Force Collection

My thanks go out to:

Roy Wall
Scott Muselin
Randy Watkins

Jim Bowman
Michael Krehl

POW Research Network Japan

MEMORIAL CERTIFICATE
AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION

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STATION LIST

source : Roy Wall

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DOWNTOWN SIOUX FALLS

source: California State Library

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SIOUX FALLS ARMY AIR FORCE TECHNICAL SCHOOL

source: California State Library

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