This website is dedicated to the memory of my father, John R. McNamara and the 73rd Bomb Wing. John was a 1st Lt. and B-29 pilot in the United States Army Air Force in the Eastern Pacific Campaign during World War II.

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I inherited John's photos, documents, artifacts, and letters and created this overview of John's experience in the military.

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John was drafted on January 2, 1941 and served for five years. He was called into action in April 1943 and saw combat in Japan with the 20th Air Force, 73rd Bomb Wing, 499th Bomb Group, 879th Bomb Squadron, while based in Saipan. He flew 18 missions totaling more than 250 hours in combat and was never wounded in action.

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John separated from service on October 3, 1945, shortly after Japan surrendered in August 1945.

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His decorations and citations included the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and the American Defense Ribbon.

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Thomas C. McNamara

January 2023