Inland Empire Wing Member Describes Personal Connection with Recent Memorial Flight

Riverside, CA (July 28, 2024) – CAF Col Steve Rose was perusing the internet last week in late July when he noticed a story about a World War II serviceman. The story told of a crewman aboard a B-24 Liberator bomber that was shot down over Germany in February of 1944. His name was TSgt Donald Banta. According to the story, two crewmen managed to parachute from the stricken aircraft, but the rest were killed on impact with the ground. The Germans buried one of the crew members they found, but the rest were unidentified.

The remains from the aircraft were recovered in 1952, but the crew could not be identified at that time. In September 2023, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency was finally able to determine the remains of TSgt Banta 80 years after his death.

This story caught Rose’s attention immediately. The story states that TSgt Banta was assigned to the 703rd Bombardment Squadron of the 445th Bombardment Group. As it turns out, Rose’s uncle, who was also killed during the War, was a B-24 radio operator assigned to the same 703rd Bombardment Squadron.

While growing up, Rose’s mother occasionally talked about her airman brother. While Rose, who pilots the C-53 D-Day Doll, was in England during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, he did a little research. He discovered that his uncle was killed in October 1944 when the aircraft he was flying in blew up in midair over England. Rose and D-Day Doll crew chief Mike Lindgren visited the Tibenham Airfield, where the 703rd was based during the War. The airfield is still there, although it is now a glider field. Of note, the 703rd was commanded by actor Jimmy Stewart.

While reading about TSgt Banta, Rose wondered if perhaps his uncle and Banta knew one another. In another twist of fate, the article stated that TSgt Banta was from Los Angeles and would finally be laid to rest at Riverside National Cemetery in just a few days.

Riverside National Cemetery is only a 5-minute flight from the Inland Empire Wing’s hangar. The Wing has performed many flyovers at the cemetery for service people who were identified after being lost. Rose was determined to do something for TSgt Banta. Typically, the Wing would fly their assigned C-53 D-Day Doll for such a flyover, but it was in maintenance. Luckily, the Wing’s AT-6 Harvard could fill in and perform the flyover for TSgt Banta's memorial service.

Members of the Inland Empire Wing are always honored to perform flyovers for these types of events. They have even begun working with the Army Casualty Office to receive notifications if they have any cases involving a burial at the Riverside National Cemetery so that they can take part in any memorial service.

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency - Press Release | June 26, 2024

Airman Accounted for from WWII (Banta, D.)

Washington– The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta, 21, of Los Angeles, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 26, 2023.

In early 1944, Banta was assigned to the 703rd Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in the European Theater. On Feb 24, Banta, an engineer onboard a B-24J Liberator, was killed in action when his plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. One of the surviving crewmembers reported seeing the plane on fire and in a steep dive, before eventually exploding on the ground. While two crewmembers survived, the others, including Banta, were killed in the incident. German forces garrisoned in the area documented the crash site north of Leimbach Bahnhof, near Bad Salzungen, Germany. After the crash, German troops recovered the remains of the ball turret gunner and buried them in a local cemetery. The other six crewmembers, including Banta, were unaccounted for following the war.

In March 1952, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, took custody of comingled unidentified remains recovered from Bad Salzungen Cemetery. These remains, X-9093 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9093), X-9094 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9094), and X-9095 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9095), were believed to be those belonging to Banta’s downed aircraft. At the time, identification of these remains was not possible, and they were interred in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Belgium.

In June 2021, DPAA historians and American Battle Monuments Commission personnel, exhumed X-9093, X-9094, and X-9095 from Ardennes American Cemetery and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis and identification.

To identify Banta’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

TSgt. Banta’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

TSgt. Banta will be buried in Riverside National Cemetery, California, on a date to be determined.

For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or https://www.linkedin.com/company/defense-pow-mia-accounting-agency.

Banta’s personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XgMvEAK.