Joseph G. Lawruszko.
Tail Gunner · Of 500 Maple Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The Man Behind the Name
Sgt. Joseph G. Lawruszko served as tail gunner aboard B-24H 42-94991. He was last seen between the tail turret and the waist escape hatch just before Sgt. Bishop bailed out.
Sgt. Lavner and Sgt. Bishop both saw Lawruszko before they exited the aircraft and believed he went down with the ship. Bishop speculated that Lawruszko may not have had enough time to jump, as the wing burned for only a few seconds before exploding and being torn off, sending the aircraft into a tight spin.
German captors reportedly confirmed that only six crew members got out. His next of kin was listed as Mr. Weryl Lawruszko (father), 500 Maple Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Service record.
Missions flown.
The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.