Joseph Sylvester BUKACEK Jr

“Joe”

Source : F Lavernhe

Map of St James American Cemetery

Joseph Sylvester “Joe” Bukacek, Jr. was born on April 1, 1914 to Annie May Lignin and Joseph Sylvester Bukacek, Sr. in Riverside, St. Clair County, Alabama, where his family lived throughout his life. He had at least one younger brother James. His father was born in Moravia (later Czech Republic) and immigrated to the US with his parents in 1889. He was general store merchant and postmaster at Riverside for over 40 years. He graduated from Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Mississippi where he was in the ROTC and a member of Phi Lambda Epsilon Fraternity. On November 3, 1935, he married Kathryn Starnes in St. Clair County. He was listed as a mechanic.

On October 16, 1940, he registered for the draft in Pell City, St. Clair County. He was a resident of Riverside and was employed as a repairman at Stockham Valves & Fittings Company in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama. He was 5’ 10”, 175 pounds, and had blue eyes, red hair and light complexion.

On February 10, 1942, he was inducted into the US Army at Ft. McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia as a private, service #34198412. He was 5’ 9”, 164 pounds, a vehicle mechanic, single (apparently divorced), and had two years of college. He trained at Keesler Field, Biloxi, Mississippi. On March 6, 1942, he married Mary Nell Betts in Gulfport, Mississippi. He trained initially in the transportation division. He later trained at McDill Field in Tampa, Florida and at Salt Lake City, Utah. He was assigned to the 423rd Bomb Squadron, 306th Bomb Group (Heavy) flying the B-17 “Flying Fortress”. After his arrival in England, he was trained as a waist gunner.

On May 1, 1943, based at RAF Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England, he was assigned as waist gunner on B-17F #42-29649 piloted by Lt. Lewis P. Johnson on his sixth bombing mission. “May started off with a bang when early on the first day they set out to bomb harbor installations at St. Nazaire. Those taking off were Capts. Raymond.J. Check, Pervis E. Youree and Robert W. Smith, Lts. Ralph V. Jones, L. P. Johnson, Edwin Pipp and Bart Wigginton. The mission was uneventful until the target was reached. At that point we met some slight and ineffective flak and Focke Wulf interception. Due to heavy undercast and clouds, bombing was ineffective. The group then turned out to sea to return around the Brest Peninsula, and made a 360° turn to protect the 91st Group, which was in trouble. This turn apparently threw off the navigation to such an extent that Brest vas mistaken for Land's End.

“Our group then flew right over the severe flak at Brest and two of our ships were lost, Lt. Pipp and Lt. Wigginton. The rest of the a/c got out of this mess, but part way back, over the Channel, Lt. Johnson's plane vas attacked by several FW 190s. One these scored a lucky hit, igniting an oxygen fire. The back of the plane vas enveloped in flames, which grew so intense that TTSgt. Henry J. Bean, S/Sgt. Robert V. Folliard, and Sgt. Joseph F. Bukacek, Jr., bailed out to almost certain death in the Channel. Lt. Stanley Lisseberth, navigator, was wounded in the leg.

The fire absolutely gutted the radio room and the waist of the ship. Sgt. Maynard B. [“Snuffy”] Smith, ball turret, disregarding his own safety, wrapped a towel around his head and fought his way through flames and exploding 50 cal machine gun shells to the radio room where he heroically fought the flames, and was largely responsible for the safe return of the a/c. On later inspection, engineers marveled at safe landing made by Lt. Johnson in s.w. England [Predannack, Cornwall]. It was Johnson's 25th and final mission.”

Citation: “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. The aircraft of which Sgt. Smith was a gunner was subjected to intense enemy antiaircraft fire and determined fighter airplane attacks while returning from a mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe on 1 May 1943. The airplane was hit several times by antiaircraft fire and cannon shells of the fighter airplanes, 2 of the crew were seriously wounded, the aircraft’s oxygen system shot out, and several vital control cables severed when intense fires were ignited simultaneously in the radio compartment and waist sections. The situation became so acute that 3 of the crew bailed out into the comparative safety of the sea. Sgt. Smith, then on his first combat mission, elected to fight the fire by himself, administered first aid to the wounded tail gunner, manned the waist guns, and fought the intense flames alternately. The escaping oxygen fanned the fire to such intense heat that the ammunition in the radio compartment began to explode, the radio, gun mount, and camera were melted, and the compartment completely gutted. Sgt. Smith threw the exploding ammunition overboard, fought the fire until all the firefighting aids were exhausted, manned the workable guns until the enemy fighters were driven away, further administered first aid to his wounded comrade, and then by wrapping himself in protecting cloth, completely extinguished the fire by hand. This soldier’s gallantry in action, undaunted bravery, and loyalty to his aircraft and fellow crewmembers, without regard for his own personal safety, is an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.”

Sgt. Bukacek was declared missing on May 1, 1943, and on May 2, 1944, he was declared dead. His body was nonrecoverable. He was awarded a Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal and Combat Action Ribbon. His memory is honored at Tablets of the Missing, Brittany American Cemetery & Memorial, St. James, France (Memorial ID 56349321), at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Pell City, St. Clair County, Alabama (Memorial ID 118868477), and at the WWII Memorial at the St. Clair County Court House, Pell City, Alabama.