Brookline War Memorial
Howard F. Vierling

2nd Lt. Howard F. Vierling
United States Army Air Corps (1942-1944)

Howard F. Vierling

United States Army Air Services (1917-1947)

Howard F. Vierling was born on November 6, 1917, to parents Ann and Elmer L. Vierling. He had a brother, Ralph, and a sister, Marie. Members of Resurrection Parish, the Vierling's lived at 712 Fordham Avenue. Howard was a graduate of Resurrection Elementary and South Hills High School's Class of 1936. Also a graduate of the Pittsburgh Academy, he was a fine sandlot baseball player, known to his many friends as "Lefty."

Howard was working as a carpenter for his father's contracting business when he was drafted into the U.S. Army on May 23, 1942, He finished boot camp and then chose to enter the Aviation Corps to become a pilot. After months of flight training, Howard earned his wings on June 30, 1943, from the Gulf Coast Training Center. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and sent for advanced flight training on the B-24 Liberator bomber.

Lt. Howard Vierling, pilot, was assigned to a ten-member crew which included Lt. Eugene W. Sengstake, co-pilot; Lt. Albert E. Carpenter, bombardier; Lt. William H. Crockett, navigator; Sgt. Elmer C. Richardson, engineer; Sgt. Jewell C. Spicer, radio operator; Sgt. Garland L. P. Grant, asst. engineer; Pvt. Dilworth P. Lund, asst. radio operator; Sgt. Felix B. Lezynsli, gunner; and Sgt. Stephen Lilak, gunner.

After the completing their verification training, Lt. Vierling and his crew were assigned a new B-24-J #42-100328. They were earmarked for deployment to the 408th Bombardment Squadron, 22dn Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the U.S. 5th Air Force, then stationed in Dobodura, New Guinea.

                 

The 22nd Bombardment Broup was created on the U.S. East Coat just after the start of the Second World War, training with a mix of B-19 Bolos and B-26 Marauders. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the Group was transfered to the West Coast, flying anti-submarine patrols from Muroc, California from December 1941 until the end of January 1942.

It was then assigned to the 5th Air Force, originally based on the Phillipines. By the time the 22nd arrived in the theatre the situation on the Phillipines was desperate, and the group was based in Australia. From there it attacked Japanese targets on New Guinea and New Britain.

In October 1943 the B-26 Marauders were joined by B-25 Mitchells, and for the rest of the year the group continued to operate in support of Allied troops on New Guinea.

In February 1944, the 22nd Bombardment Group was redesignated as a Heavy Bombardment Group, and given a new consignment of B-24 Liberators, a plane much better suited for the long-range missions in the South Pacific. With it's new heavy bombers, the group began attacking targets on Borneo, Ceram and Halmahera, amongst them the crucial oil fields of the Dutch East Indies.

B-24 Liberator Bomber - 22nd Bomb Group
B-24 Liberators of the 22nd Bombardment Group flying in the South Pacific.

After enjoying a family leave during the Christmas holiday, Lt. Vierling and his crew flew to the West Coast, and then began the journey overseas to the South Pacific in January 1944. It was late-February when Lt. Howard F. Vierling and his B-24 arrived in New Guinea. By this time the Group had moved to a new base at Nadzab Airfield.

Lt. Vierling and his crew soon began flying combat missions over distant Japanese targets. They learned that, aside from the Japanese fighter aircraft and the flak artillery, there were many other risks in flying aerial operations in the South Pacific. Chief among these was the unpredictable and often turbulent weather.

An example of this was on April 16, 1944, a day known as Black Sunday. A weather front blocked the return of over 170 B-24s, B-25s and A-20s from a raid on Hollandia. Bad weather and accidents closed all available fields as a line of thunderstorms blocked access to landing sites.

By the time it the mission was over, thirty-seven aircraft were destroyed or missing and another nine seriously damaged due to navigational errors, the weather and general confusion (including collisions in the air and on the ground).

B-24 Liberator Bomber
B-24 Liberator after crash landing at a base in the South Pacific.

On the afternoon of June 8, 1944, the 22nd Bomb Group took off fully loaded from Nabzab Airfield, New Guinea, and flew to Hollandia. Before daylight on June 9 the aircraft took off for Wakde Island to re-fuel and be briefed for the mission. Before reaching Wakde, the radio there reported: "Bandits in the area. We are under attack. Boxcars go back to where you came from."

The planes returned to Hollandia and again landed with a full bomb load (not recommended) for the second time on the mission. No sooner were they on the ground than Wakde radio advised that the area was clear. The group took off again and flew to Wakde Island.

According to Lt. Colonel Robert W. Hulme, after refueling, twenty-eight B-24's took off for Palau to bomb Peleliu Island at 10:00am on June 9. Several ships turned back for various reasons. About twenty minutes before reaching the target only seven planes remained.

One of these missing aircraft was the B-24 flown by Lt. Howard F. Vierling. The plane became separated from formation by bad weather while two hours from target and was never heard from again. All ten members of the crew were listed as missing in action.

Howard F. Vierling

Search and rescue flights turned up no traces of the bomber or crew. Back home at 712 Fordham Avenue, the Vierling family received word of Howard's status in mid-July. The Pittsburgh Press listed him as Missing in Action on the July 21 Daily Casualty Report.

As time went by and no word was received about Howard Vierling's fate, hopes of his recovery began to diminish. The war in the Pacific came to an end and there was no reports of possible POW status. On March 24, 1946, the Defense Department notified the Vierling family that Howard's status had been changed to Presumed Dead/Killed in Action. His body was never recovered and declared lost at sea.

A solemn requiem Mass in Howard F. Vierling's honor was sung at Resurrection Church on Tuesday, March 26. He is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manilla, Phillipines.

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial    Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

* Written by Clint Burton: May 14, 2018 *




The Brookline War Memorial

The Brookline Veteran's Memorial.

Listed below are many of the sons of Brookline who gave their
lives to preserve freedom and contain aggression during
World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”
General George S. Patton
 

United States Army (1775-present)  United States Army Air Services (1917-1947)  United States Navy (1775-present)  United States Marine Corps (1775-present)
United States Coast Guards (1790-present)  United States Air Force (1947-present)  United States Merchant Marine (1775-present)

World War I (1917-1919)

Percy Digby

Digby, David P.
Mayville Avenue
Army

Details

Raymond P. Cronin

Cronin, Raymond P.
Berkshire Avenue
USMC

Details

Charles Luppe

Luppe, Charles
Ferncliffe Avenue
Army

Details

WW1 Memorial - Washington D.C.
The World War I Memorial - Washington D.C.

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World War II (1941-1945)


Alm, William H.
Pioneer Avenue
Army

Details


Arensberg, Roy T.
Fernhill Avenue
Army

Details


Bracey, Bruce H.
Plainview Avenue
Army

Details


Brickley, Edward G.
Woodward Avenue
Army

Details


Capogreca, James J.
Merrick Avenue
Navy

Details


Copeland, Clarence R.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy

Details


Cullison, Thomas J.
Birtley Avenue
Army

Details


Dempsey, Howard F.
Berkshire Avenue
Army

Details


Dempsey, Walter F.
Milan Avenue
Navy

Details


Diegelman, Edward R. Jr
Norwich Avenue
Army

Details


Dornetto, Frank P.
Jacob Street
Navy

Details


Doyle, John F Jr.
Eben Street
Navy

Details


Fagan, Gerald B.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army

Details


Falk, Harold E.
Pioneer Avenue
Army

Details


Fehring, Robert M.
Fernhill Avenue
Army

Details


Gmuca, Joseph J.
Brookline Boulevard
Army

Details


Heil, Robert F.
Bayridge Avenue
Army

Details


Hynes, Richard E.
Waddington Avenue
Army

Details


Kestler, Paul C.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy

Details


Ketters, Robert C.
Berkshire Avenue
Army

Details


Mahoney, Michael J.
Oakridge Street
Army

Details


Majestic, Arthur B.
Starkamp Avenue
Army

Details


Mayberry, Alexander G.
Breining Street
Army

Details


Mazza, John
Alwyn Street
Army

Details


McCann, Robert F.
Edgebrook Avenue
Navy

Details


McFarland, Hugh R.
McNeilly Road
Army

Details


Meisner, Walter F.
Berwin Avenue
Merchant Marine

Details


Miller, William J.
Norwich Avenue
Army

Details


Napier, Edward J.
Brookline Boulevard
Army

Details


Nicholson, John D.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army

Details


O'Day, John R.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy

Details


Orient, Andrew D.
Fordham Avenue
Army

Details


Pisiecki, Raymond A.
Wolford Avenue
Army

Details


Reeves, Alfred M.
Brookline Boulevard
Army

Details


Reitmeyer, John P.
Bellaire Avenue
Navy

Details


Rhing, Vern M.
Norwich Avenue
Army

Details


Ruane, Roy J.
Berkshire Avenue
USMC

Details


Shannon, Harry C.
Midland Street
Army

Details


Shannon, Jack E.
Midland Street
USMC

Details


Simpson, James D.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army

Details


Spack, Harry
Linial Avenue
Army

Details


Tobin, Paul M.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army

Details


Vierling, Howard F.
Fordham Avenue
Army

Details


Wagner, Ralph G.
Shawhan Avenue
Army

Details


Wentz, Walter L. Jr
Woodbourne Avenue
Army

Details


Zeiler, Harold V.
West Liberty Avenue
Army

Details


WW2 Memorial - Washington D.C.
The World War II Memorial - Washington D.C.

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>

Korean War (1950-1953)

Patrick Gallagher

Gallagher, Patrick J.
Bodkin Street
Army

Details

James Gormley

Gormley, James W.
Brookline Boulevard
Army

Details

Gerald Hilliard

Hilliard, Gerald G.
Edgebrook Avenue
Army

Details

James McKenna

McKenna, James E.
Bellaire Place
Army

Details

Korean War Memorial - Washington D.C.
Korean War Memorial - Washington D.C.

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Vietnam War (1965-1973)

James Robert Bodish

Bodish, James R.
Plainview Avenue
Army

Virtual Wall
Additional Details

James Gilbert Collins

Collins, James G.
Dunster Street
Army

Virtual Wall
Additional Details

James Charles Wonn

Wonn, James C.
Mayville Avenue
Navy

Virtual Wall
Additional Details

Vietnam War Memorial - Washington D.C.
Vietnam War Memorial - Washington D.C.




The Brookline Monument - The Cannon

Brookline Veteran's Park - April 26, 2014.

<Brookline War Memorial> <> <Brookline History>