Sam served as a Private, 35th Fighter Control Squadron, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Essex County, New Jersey prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on September 8, 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the manufacture of clocks, watches, jewelry, and articles of precious metals and also as Single, without dependents.

He was a passenger on C-47 #41-18668, 21st Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force.

C-47 #41-18668 took off from Port Moresby fully loaded with supplies and personnel of the 35th Fighter Control Squadron and 39th Fighter Squadron. While in the traffic pattern for Tsili Tsili Airfield, its second flight was intercepted by Ki-43 Oscars led by Shigeo Nango of the 59th Sentai. This C-47 was shot down south-west of Tsili Tsili and crashed with the loss of all aboard.

Sam was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.

He was awarded the the Purple Heart.

He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 16, 1950.

Service # 32468190

The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldiers & sailors were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Crew who perished on C-47 #41-18668:

Cathcart, Charles O ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, TX
Fetzer, William H ~ Corp, Radio Operator, PA
Hamilton, Darwin R ~ FO, Co-Pilot, CA
Slocki, Theodore ~ Sgt, Engineer, NJ

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Passengers who perished on
C-47 #41-18668:

Kahler, Earl L ~ Corp, Passenger, WY
Lothschutz, Austin J ~ Pfc, Passenger, MI
Renkes, Thomas B ~ Corp, Passenger, MI
Rothstein, Sam ~ Pvt, Passenger, NJ
Ryan, Jeremiah J ~ Corp, Passenger, NE

C-47 "Liliane" #41-18682 was also lost on the same mission on the same day for the same reason.

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

Special thanks to:
ShaneO for submitting this record for bio updates!

Sam Rothstein