George Marcelynas was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on May 28,1920. He enlisted in the Air Corps on June 25, 1942. S/Sgt. Marcelynas' group includes his officially engraved posthumous slot brooch Purple Heart, an early un-named solid brooch Air Medal, his officially engraved posthumous slot brooch Air Medal with Oak Leaf, and a 5th Air Force patch. The brooch of the early Air Medal is numbered 33745. Copies of extracts from the MACR are included.
S/Sgt. Marcelynas was the Radio Operator and one of six crewmembers of a B-25 Mitchell, Bu. No. 43-4857, who were lost on December 26, 1944, when it crashed in the waters of Molucca Passage, 80 miles west of Morotai Island, Netherland East Indies, on a combat mission to Tarakan, Borneo. The crash occured most likely due to engine failure after the mission was aborted and they began to return to base. The pilot of the airplane was 2nd Lt. Sheldon Ware.
A statement in the Missing Air Crew Report indicates that when the flight encountered bad weather, they started on a return to home base. The pilot was seen to be losing altitude rapidly, objects were seen dropping from the aircraft (assumed to be the release of the bomb load). The airplane immediately hit the water flat, bounced about four lengths then broke up completely, sinking immediately. Search of the area by aircraft ensued with negative results. Upon arrival of a PT boat, an empty life raft and oil slicks were found. There were no survivors.
A great website on the 823rd can be found at http://www.sunsetters38bg.com/index.php/History/History-of-the-823rd-Squadron.html
