Lt Col Samuel Pesacreta

KarenG · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:42 am

Hi Guys,

2nd Lt. Samuel Pesacreta was Dean's wingman on the flight on that killed him.

I googled his name and came up with a Lt. Col. Samuel Pesacreta who shot down a Russian MIG during the Korean war, as a Captain in the 4th Fighter Wing.

He is also listed as Commander of the 444th Interceptor Squadron at Charleston AFB.

There is also a Samuel Pesacreta listed in the Social Security Death Index for 1994.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to investigate if this is the same man who flew with Dean? Since I am not a relative I don't know if I would have access to any service records?

Thanks guys. I would really love to find one of the four 2nd Lts. that flew with Dean that day. Lt. Pesacreta had the most unique name, and that is why I started with him.

Karen

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:12 am

Karen

that's the guy !

he also was involved in an accident on 23rd April 1950, when his F-86A Sabre s/n 48-0234 caught fire on take-off from Laurenburg-Maxton AFB, NC - he was assigned to the 4th FIG 336th FIS at Langley AFB, VA, at that time - i.e. before deployment to the K.W.Z. (Korean War Zone)

Martin

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:31 am

To follow up on Karen's request - these are the four pilots on that fateful mission in November 1944

2nd Lt. Samuel Pesacreta in P-51B 43-12258 (as wingman)

2nd Lt. John H. Junkins in P-51C 44-10909

2nd Lt. Eric W. Hutchinson in P-51B 43-12118

2nd Lt. Robert A. Dunn in P-51B 43-12492

Hutchinson went on to serve with the 15th FG 47th FS based on South Field, Iwo Jima - he had to belly-land his P-51D- 44-72872 on 9th August 1945 shortly after take-off

Dunn served in the CBI (India) where he is reported in an accident in P-40K 42-9748 at Malir Field on 30th May 1945

more to follow
Martin

KarenG · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:32 am

Wow!

Thank you so much Martin! Do you know whether he was the one listed in the Social Security death index? Is there any chance he is still alive?

It makes my heart soar to know that such a talented pilot received at least some of his instruction from Uncle Dean!

Thank you again!!

Karen

To respond to the second post.... Oh my God, Martin you are amazing! I had no idea there was information out there about any of these men! Now my next quest is to find out if any of them are still alive, and if they are, how do I contact them?

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:46 am

Samuel Pesacreta was member of the 23rd FG 75th FS CBI - he is recorded in mission reports in July 1945 when the unit was based at Liuchow, China -

Quote:

7/24/1945 - 0830 - Four(4) P-51's offensive recon of river from Kukong to Yingtak.
75th pilots: Capt. Eugene J. McGuire, Lts. Frederick Grabber, Richard M. York, and Samuel Pesacreta.
Staged out of Luichow.
Capt. McGuire led mission.
About 10 miles north of Kukong, 4 clusters of frags were dropped on 12 camoflaged junks with good hits. The junks were strafed and are claimed as damaged. In same area, 8 loaded sampans were fragged and strafed. North of Kukong in the Shakowyu area, 1 sampan loaded with gasoline was destroyed and 1 junk and 10 sampans were damaged.

Quote:

7/28/1945 - 0615 - Four(4) P-51's offensive recon Kukong area.
75th pilots: Capts. Eugene J. McGuire, Donald L. Rodewald, Lts. Frederick Grabber, and Samuel Pesacreta.
Staged out of Luichow.
Capt. McGuire led mission.
In the vicinity of MaPa, 1 truck and one passenger car were damaged. Ten miles north of Kukong, 16 junks loaded with gasoline were destroyed with secondary explosions sending smoke up to 4,000 feet. Thirteen other junks were damaged. With all ammunition expended, the planes returned to base.

Quote:

7/30/1945 - 0605 - Three(3) P-51's offensive recon of railroad and river from Kukong to Ichang.
75th pilots: Capt. Eugene J. McGuire, Lts. Frederick Grabber, and Samuel Pesacreta.
Staged out of Luichow.
Capt. McGuire led mission.
Capt. McGuire fired 2 rockets at 2 large sampans north of Kukong but they fell short. Strafing damaged both sampans. At Lokchong, Lt. Pesacreta dropped his parafrags on 2 boxcars which appeared operative, claiming both as damaged. There were about 150 RR cars of all kinds in the Lokchong vicinity but all appeared burned out. At tunnel #64, Capt. McGuire fired 3 rockets into the entrance, but only one entered the tunnel. The sixth rocket was fired at bridge #65 but it fell short. Two locomotives and 4 freight cars, which were burned out, were seen SE of Pingshek. On the river north of Kukong, strafed and damaged 6 sampans. There was no activity on the river or RR in the area covered.

Martin

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:50 am

Pesacreta's kill:

17th June 1951: MiG-15 of 18th GIAP flown by Lev Kirilovich Shchukin, shot down with .50 in guns

Shchukin was an ace with 17 confirmed victories - he survived but stayed at a hospital for approx. one month - he returned to duty and claimed more victories.

Martin

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:00 am

KarenG wrote:

There is also a Samuel Pesacreta listed in the Social Security Death Index for 1994.

KarenG wrote:

Do you know whether he was the one listed in the Social Security death index?

given the birth year 1920, I'd say yes -

Martin

KarenG · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:27 am

This is what was listed in the index:

Name Birth Death Last Residence Last Benefit SSN Issued Tools Order
Record?
SAMUEL PESACRETA
09 Feb 1920
16 Mar 1994 96734 (Kailua, Honolulu, HI)
093-03-3158 New York

Now I am scratching my head...... How did I know he was born in 1920?

RareBear · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:59 am

The Social Security Death Index also lists a John H. Junkins as having passed away on March 5, 1998, and being born on March 29, 1922. That date fits as well. He lived in Mount Airy, MD at the time of his death. There was only one listing with that last name, first name and middle initial, so it's more than likely him.

There was no listing for Eric W. Hutchinson with the right birth year range, so he may still be alive.

There were 7 listings for Robert A. Dunn in the right birth year range, so it's difficult to say yes or no without more information.

Walt

KarenG · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:03 pm

Thanks Walt!

This is depressing! Well, there are two more, plus I need to dig out my old files to see who accompanied Dean's body back to PA by train. I am almost certain he was named in the newspaper article I have.

My thanks to all!

Karen

KarenG · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:12 pm

Darn it!

I also looked up the other two in Social Security Death index, and there are listings for both names, and both have birth dates in 1920, which fits, however, this one practically jumped off the page at me.......

ERIC HUTCHINSON 25 Dec 1920 14 Nov 2005
(V) 84092 (Sandy, Salt Lake, UT)
550-70-4359 California

Look at when he died..... it was the 61st Anniversary of the crash, and would have been Dean's 84th birthday.

Does the (V) mean he was a veteran.

Karen

RareBear · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:22 pm

The "V" means his death was verified by a family member, or someone acting for the family.

Using the first name, middle initial and last name, I only found one Eric W. Hutchinson, born in 1968. But going back and leaving out the middle initial, I found the one you did, born in 1920. Could be him.

As I said above, there were several Robert A. Dunn listings, all in the 1920-23 birth date range.

If you want to pursue this, there is a newspaper archive service (its a subscription service) that has copies of many older newspapers that you might be able to locate obituaries in and verify that these guys are or are not the ones you are looking for. Someone on this site might have a subscription, and be able to look the info up for you. I'm not sure of the name of it.

Walt

mhutch7714 · **Joined:** Wed May 06, 2015 10:02 am **Posts:** 1

Hello,

I believe the Eric W. Hutchinson to which you refer was my father, Eric W. Hutchison, then a 2LT in USAAF.
(Adding the 'n' is a common misspell of our last name.)

He was stationed at Iwo Jima for VLR escort, flying P-51 Mustangs into Japan.
The incident timing matches his training location(s) as the unit worked up for combat deployment.
Most of the history that the other gentleman cites is correct, however my father passed away in the mid-1960s,
and he never lived in Utah. He was born & raised in Iowa, and is buried there; Didn't live to collect SS.
He mustered out at war's end, but later returned to fly jets for USAF until his death.
I do have some pictures and flight material from that period, but most pertains to OCS and Iwo Jima.

IN RE notable associations w/aviation history
In 1957, my father was primary pilot for launch of the MB-1 Genie nuclear air-to-air rocket from an F-89 Scorpion interceptor.
It was the only live-fire of the Genie, so to my knowledge, he may be the only pilot who launched and detonated a nuclear rocket on U.S. soil!
(That's pretty unique! ;-)

Best regards,

Mark W. Hutchison

JohnB · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2015 10:00 am

Mark

In case you don't know, your dad's F-89 is still around.
F-89J 52-2547 is on display at the Montana Air Guard base at Great Falls.

Oddly, I was rereading one of my F-89 books just the other day, and I came across a mention of your father.
Northrop F-89 Scorpion, A Photo Chronicle by Marty J. Isham & David R. McLaren, Schiffer Military Press, 1996, devotes about half a page to the Genie test.
There is a photo of the launch from the Scorpion, and a distant shot of the detonation. Your dad is listed as "Capt. Eric Hutchison" and his back seater was Capt. Alfred Barbee.
The photo of the launch is credited to Northrop Grumman...perhaps you could get a print from them.

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