Sydney McClenaghan
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Air Force
Sydney M. McClenaghan of Duluth, Minnesota, enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 17, 1942.
He was a Corporal and a crewman, armorer-gunner on a B-24 Liberator bomber with the 373rd Bomb Squadron, 308th Bombardment Group, 14th Air Force (previously Flying Tigers) in the China-Burma-India Theater.
On his last mission, his aircraft departed from Luliang, Republic of China, to bomb Japanese shipping in the Tonkin Gulf, on February 11, 1945. His aircraft last contacted by radio of Tien-Yen, French Indochina near Ka-Bao Island. The message indicated the crew intended to abandon the plane.
During its third pass on a bomb run, the plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire from one of the ships and the crew bailed out over water. The navigator was only crew member to survive. The search revealed no trace of missing crewmen.
Corporal McClenaghan was filling in on missions that were short of crew members and had one or two missions to complete before returning home.
He was 19 years old when reported missing in action.
Mr. McClenaghan received the: Air Medal, Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, Aerial Gunner Crewman Badge and a citation from Gen. H. H. Arnold, commander of the Army Air Forces.
A memorial stone was placed in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 199.
