George J. Scheina

Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Force
Serial: 32368767
826th Bomber Squadron, 484th Bomber Group

Entered the Service from: New Jersey
Died: February 17, 1945
Buried at: Section 82 Site 72D
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
2900 Sheridan Road, St. Louis MO 63125

Awards: Purple Heart

Staff Sergeant George Scheina of 24 Gloucester Pike, Barrington NJ was a 1939 graduate of Haddon Heights (NJ) High School. He had worked at the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden NJ prior to being inducted into the United States Army on October 31, 1942 at Camden. He reported for active duty with the Army in November of that year. He went overseas in July of 1944. George Scheina was the tail-gunner on a B-24 bomber, and was lost over Czechoslovakia on his 47th mission.

His aircraft, a B-24 bomber, number 44-48828, nicknamed “Bells of St. Joe,” was lost on February 17, 1945 as a result of a mid-air collision with 44-49721 on a mission to bomb the city of Trieste. As per Missing Aircraft Report (MACR) 12701, the bomber was last seen to crash on an island five miles west of Bobenik, Yugoslavia.

Of the 11 man crew, only the bombardier, Edward M. Duke, managed to bail out — all others were killed in action in the crash. The bodies of the crew were recovered after the war and returned to the United States for burial. The ten men were interred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri on January 17, 1950.

A letter from the Department of the Army, Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington DC, dated October 24, 1951 states that the ten members of the crew were buried in Grave 73D Section 82 at the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery because of the fact it was impossible individually to identify the remains. The following crew is buried:

William A. Coke, S/Sgt, Gunner
Francis J. Cummins, 2d Lt., CP
Kenneth R. Larsen, Capt., P
Robert J. Mathison, S/Sgt, Gunner
Louis M. Morris, T/Sgt, Eng.
Richard F. Mulcahy Jr., 2d Lt, N
Frank W. Rabinovitz, 1st Lt, N
George J. Scheina, S/Sgt, Gunner
Don T. Unger, S/Sgt, Gunner
Jerome B. Unterberger, Avn Cadet, R/O

George Scheina was survived by his parents, Clara E. and William G. Scheina.