John Benjamin Folsom, Jr.
1943
Engineering
Attended Clemson from 1939-1942. Member of the Pershing Rifles.
Sumter County, South Carolina
Parents - John B. Folsom, Sr. and Gertrude Elizabeth Hunt Folsom
Army Air Force, Second Lieutenant
751st Bomb Squadron, 457th Bomb Group
Purple Heart
Dec 25, 1921
Aug 6, 1944
Killed In Action - Germany
Sumter Cemetery, Sumter, SC
SW
Additional Information
MACR #: 7889 Aircraft Model: B-17G; S/N#: 42-97131
Organization: Location: England; Command or AAF/ AF : 8th AF
Group: 457 Bomb Gp (H); Squadron: 751st
Place of departure: Station 130; Target: Genshagen, Germany
Type of Mission: Objective Bombing; Date: 6Aug11 Time: 1245
Location of Crash: 10 mi SE of Brandenburgh, Germany
Number of Person Aboard – Crew: 9 Passengers: 0 Total: 9
List of Crew (crew positions, name, rank, status)
2nd LT. Frost, Vincent (Pilot)
2nd LT. Folsom, John B. Jr.
2nd Lt. Danaher, Robert W.
2nd Lt. Peronto, Earl N.
S/Sgt Bernstein, Soloman H. (KIA)
S/Sgt Bartoszewicz, Chester F. (KIA)
Sgt. Rice, Daniel D.
Sgt. Taylor, Daniel C.
Sgt. Rempp, Hubert D.
Narrative or eye witness statements
2nd Lt. Folsom’s aircraft was hit by AAGF in the target area (a jet engine factory) at 1240 10 miles southeast of Brandenburg causing the second engine or left wing caught on fire. 6-8 parachutes were sighted. One man was seen falling without a parachute after it had gotten snagged on left wing of A/C (Cpt. Gerald H. Galligan, A.C.)
Folsom was in the aircraft when it struck the ground. His last conversation was: “ Stick with it- we’ll be okay.” Lt. Folsom seemed reluctant to face the fact that ship must be abandoned and was fumbling with chest back type chute and did not bail out like 4 other crew members. (2nd LT. Frost, Vincent)
Related Images Click to Enlarge
Greenville News 08 October 1944 p.A6
The State - Oct 10, 1944