First Lt. John L. Gage of Montclair, believed to be a pilot of one of the Super
Fortresses that bombed Japan June 15, died in Chengdu China, after an emergency
appendectomy June 18. His mother, Mrs. William H. Gage of 64 Sunset Avenue,
Montclair, was notified of his death by the War Department yesterday.
Mrs. Gage said her son flew a B-29 to India last December and later was based with
the squadron in China. She said he wrote in his last letter he had "big news" but
that it would be censored.
Lt. Gage, 28, was born in Montclair and graduated from Montclair High School.
Before entering Army service in 1939 he was a travelling accountant for Prudential
Insurance Co. He was accepted for pilot training in 1941, and, after winning his
wings, was assigned to fly B-17s. He the received special training in flying the giant
forts.
Last Fall, Lt. Gage and his crew safely bailed out of a B-17 when it started to crack
up at 25,000 feet over Wyoming. Besides his mother he leaves a brother, William
Gage of Cambridge, Mass. His father, the late William Gage, was choirmaster and
organist in Methodist Church of Montclair.
Newark Evening News
July 1, 1944
Fortresses that bombed Japan June 15, died in Chengdu China, after an emergency
appendectomy June 18. His mother, Mrs. William H. Gage of 64 Sunset Avenue,
Montclair, was notified of his death by the War Department yesterday.
Mrs. Gage said her son flew a B-29 to India last December and later was based with
the squadron in China. She said he wrote in his last letter he had "big news" but
that it would be censored.
Lt. Gage, 28, was born in Montclair and graduated from Montclair High School.
Before entering Army service in 1939 he was a travelling accountant for Prudential
Insurance Co. He was accepted for pilot training in 1941, and, after winning his
wings, was assigned to fly B-17s. He the received special training in flying the giant
forts.
Last Fall, Lt. Gage and his crew safely bailed out of a B-17 when it started to crack
up at 25,000 feet over Wyoming. Besides his mother he leaves a brother, William
Gage of Cambridge, Mass. His father, the late William Gage, was choirmaster and
organist in Methodist Church of Montclair.
Newark Evening News
July 1, 1944
| John L. Gage ID: 0-681379 Entered the Service From: New Jersey Rank: First Lieutenant Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 794th Bomber Squadron, 468th Bomber Group, Very Heavy Died: Sunday, June 18, 1944 Buried at: Honolulu Memorial Location: Honolulu, HI, USA Plot: A Grave: 45 |
| The goal of this project is to preserve the memory of these heroes and not let their stories be lost to history. Their sacrifices should be honored and their histories should be available to school children and adults to learn about the heroic Verona residents who came before them. It is vital that friends and family of these heroes be found, so that they may share pictures, service records, and other information to add to these stories. If you are a family member or friend of one of these heroes, or you know someone who is or may have additional information, please contact: Robert Caruso Heritage Preservation Associates Verona, New Jersey veronaheroes@heritagepreservation.us |
| This Website is maintained by Heritage Preservation Associates |
| Verona Hero |
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1st Lt. John L. Gage
| Verona Residence: 64 Sunset Avenue |
