Lieutenant Eugene Daniel Bleiler | New Mexico State University

Eugene Daniel Bleiler was born in Allentown Pennsylvania on July 22, 1917 to Irwin Eugene and Dorothy S. Bleiler. He was one of seven children that grew up in Allentown. His father died in 1936. In 1938, after graduating from Allentown HS, Eugene traveled to NM to enroll at NMAMAC. He stayed for one year in the College of Arts and Sciences. In January of 1942, shortly after the outbreak of hostilities, Eugene enlisted in the USAAF. His enlistment document states that he had one year of college. He was trained as a navigator and in the spring of 1943 was assigned to the 39th Squadron, 317th Troop carrier group then operating out of New Guinea. On May 7th, 1943, he was aboard B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" Serial Number 41-24518 flying as a student navigator on a photo reconnaissance mission over Kavieng on the island of New Ireland, New Guinea. The plane was attacked by 6 Zero fighters that rose to meet it. With one engine ablaze the pilot dove for the water in an attempt to evade the fighters. After repeated attacks, the plane ditched in shallow waters off Komalu, a small outpost along the southern coast of New Ireland. Lieutenant Eugene Bleiler, along with two other members of the crew, was killed during the air combat.

The surviving crew escaped the plane and, with the help of natives, buried the three crew members on the beach. The bodies were later taken to a Catholic Mission at Imamura and buried in the native cemetery. The remaining 8 crew members hid briefly, but with three badly wounded, eventually surrendered to the Japanese. Four of the eight died from treatment or were executed while POWs. Four survived and returned home at the end of the war. Post war, a party from US Army AGRS visited the burial site on New Ireland and exhumed the three buried at the Catholic Mission at Imamura. Reportedly, an airman's wrist watch was found in one grave. When the dirt was wiped away and winder twisted, the watch began ticking. Today, Lt Eugene Daniel Bleiler rests in the Manila American Cemetery. He was 26 years of age at the time of his death.