Lt. John Weese Dies In Combat

Pilot Killed Second Lt. John A. Weese, 23, a Thunderbolt P-47 pilot, was killed in combat in Europe on June 10. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Weese, of 515 Sixth St., who received notification of his death yesterday, believe he was killed over Normandy while taking part in the Allied invasion. Lt. John Weese Dies In Combat Army Flier Reported Killed In Action Over Europe On June 10 Second Lt. and Fighter Pilot John A. Weese, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Weese, of 515 Sixth St., was killed in action on June 10. His parents, who received notification of his death from the War Department yesterday, believe that he was killed in combat flight over Normandy since he died just four days after the allied invasion of France. Lt. Weese was a Thunderbolt P-47 pilot and was awarded the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters just a few weeks before his death. A wing man for the flight commander, he was with the 365th fighter group, 386th fighter squadron of the 9th Air Force in England. Told Of Bombings In letters to his fiance, Miss Irma Barnard, the lieutenant mentioned bombing bridges and installations in Nazi-held Europe and taking part in straffing missions. Mr. and Mrs. Llewellyn Barnard, of 1943 Jackson Ave., announced the engagement of their daughter, Irma, to Lt. Weese last Nov. 16 while the lieutenant was home on leave after receiving his wings and commission Nov. 3 at Craig Field in Alabama. Sent to England about the middle of March, Lt. Weese took his final combat training at Bluthenthal Field in Wilmington, N. C., where he was sent from Mitchell Field, N. Y. He enlisted in the Air Corps Aug. 5, 1943, took his primary flight training at Souther Field, Ga., and his basic training at Cochran Field in the same state. "Jack," as his friends called him, was a resident of Ann Arbor for four years and was graduated from Durand High school in 1938. He attended the Lawrence Institute of Technology in Detroit for one semester and was employed as a machinist with the American Broach & Machine Co. at the time of his enlistment.