Jerome Michael Helget was born on September 8, 1922 in Leavenworth, Brown County Minnesota to George and Anna Marquardt Helget. He was the oldest of six children. Brothers Norbert, Marvin and Richard. Sisters Imogine and Bernadine. His father was a Poultry Specialist at the Mixa Hatchery. His brothers Marvin and Norbert served in WWII in the Navy. His brother Richard served in Korean War in the Marine Corp.

He was working at the Mixa Hatchery when he registered in June 1942 at Redwood Falls, MN. He had enlisted in the Army Air Forces and served during World War II. He had the rank of Staff Sergeant and was a Ball Turret Gunner. Service number was 37542521. Served with 34th Bomber Group, Heavy, 7th Bomber Squadron, 8th Air Force.

Helget lost his life on June 6, 1944. He was the Gunner on the crew of B-24 Liberator #41-28838 "Misery Agent" on a mission towards Normany on D-Day. The Normandy landings, code named Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord. They ran out of fuel and crashed and burned with wheels up in the Olde Woode at Corfe Castle near the English south coast killing all 9 crew members on board. They were still carrying twelve 500lb bombs at the time. Mission number 10 Took off at 0234 hours-June 6, 1944 and flew position 1-3 in 2nd Squadron. The remains of 6 crew members were recovered from the wreckage along with several unexploded bombs. Some reports state that Pilot Lt Doell and Sgt. Stancati were taken to Ringwood hospital and died on 8 June 1944. But their headstones read June 6th.

Jerome M Helget had two burials, the first being in Ebinton National Cemetery in England and then his remains were returned on August 11, 1948 and buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. This is a National American Cemetery administered through the Department of Veteran's Affairs.

COMMENDATIONS

★ Purple Heart

9 casualties related to the #41-28838 incident on June 6, 1944.

Find A Grave Memorials for crew below:

Pilot: 2nd Lt. Herman H Doell, NJ https://www.fold3.com/page/529901467/herman-m-doell/stories

Co Pilot: 2nd Lt. Lewis A Duncan, TX https://www.fold3.com/page/529906544/lewis-a-duncan/stories

Gunner: S/Sgt. Vincent C Drozdek, IL https://www.fold3.com/page/529903321/vincent-c-drozdek/stories

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Alvin T Rainey, LA https://www.fold3.com/page/84828511/alvin-t-rainey/stories

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Robert K "Bob" Swarthout, MI https://www.fold3.com/page/529905973/robert-k-swarthout/stories

Ball Turret Gunner: S/Sgt. Jerome M Helget, MN https://www.fold3.com/page/653606404/jerome-m-helget/stories

Engineer: S/Sgt. William De Valera Curtin, CA https://www.fold3.com/page/639659138/william-d-curtin/stories

Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. William E Price, OK https://www.fold3.com/page/638820248/william-e-price/stories

Tail Gunner: Sgt. Arthur Stancati, NJ https://www.fold3.com/page/638198187/arthur-f-stancati/stories

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project _https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

If you noticed anything missing in this profile, you may contact the author. Click on the author’s name located at the bottom of the story page next to the words “added by.”.

Thank you for your supreme sacrifice in service to your country

Sources:

https://www.ancestry.com/ - 1920, 1930, 1940 census, draft card

https://www.findagrave.com/

https://www.honorstates.org/index.php

www.americanairmuseum.com

Jerome M. Helget