Airman Killed During World War II To Be Buried This Week In Pensacola

June 25, 2018

Funeral services will be held this week in Pensacola for an Alabama man killed during World War II.

The remains of Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Percy C. Mathews, 25, of Andalusia, Alabama, were just recently identified. He will be buried Thursday in Pensacola.

On May 29, 1943, Mathews was a member of the 422nd Bombardment Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group, 8th U.S. Air Force, participating in a strike against the German submarine base at Saint-Nazaire, France.

The B-17 Mathews was aboard was hit by enemy fire as it left the target area. Mathews did not make it out of the bomber before it crashed. Survivors believed the aircraft crashed about 95 miles from Saint-Nazaire, near the French village of Quintin. German reports indicated one casualty was recovered from the wreckage of the plane, though no burial information was provided.

Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) searched for and disinterred the remains of U.S. servicemen in Europe as part of the global effort to identify and return fallen servicemen. Remains that could not be identified were designated as unknowns and interred in U.S. overseas cemeteries. Beginning in 2010, DPAA and its predecessors digitized and began to analyze more than 8,000 files for Unknowns from WWII.

One set of unidentified remains, designated X-205 St. James, were disinterred from a cemetery in St. Brieuc, France, prior to September 16, 1944. The remains could not be identified and were interred in the American cemetery at St. James, present day Brittany American Cemetery.

The remains were later positively identified using mitochondrial (mtDNA), anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,906 service members (approximately 26,000 assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Although interred as an “unknown” Mathews’ grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Mathews’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery in the United Kingdom, an American Battle Monuments Commission site. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Comments

13 Responses to “Airman Killed During World War II To Be Buried This Week In Pensacola”

  1. Vet. Martin on June 29th, 2018 9:45 pm

    Thank you SSgt. Percy Mathews for your service and giving your life for our freedom. We welcome you home. May you forever R.I.P.

  2. Mickey Powell on June 27th, 2018 4:50 am

    Welcome home Sgt. Mathews Mickey Powell Flomaton

  3. Ann Thology on June 26th, 2018 11:33 pm

    Students of World War II history all take notice of the tremendous loss of life in the air war over the ETO. Studies show more airmen were lost over Europe than land forces were lost in the Island hopping with the land forces in the Pacific. We all owe these men a huge amount of gratitude, whatever uniform they wore, or where they fought.

  4. randy on June 26th, 2018 7:38 am

    ABMC.GOV you can see war graves overseas

  5. Fellow Vet on June 25th, 2018 9:52 pm

    I have traveled to visit several National Cemeteries and Barrancas National Cemetery is by far the most beautiful cemetery I have ever visited. You can tell that those employees truly take pride in the their work. Rest in piece Staff Sgt. Percy C. Mathews, you are in good hands Sir and rest in piece.

    Some of us gave none, many of us a gave a little, and a few gave all.

  6. Andrew Roemer on June 25th, 2018 8:56 pm

    I would like to attend the procession, if possible. Info?

  7. randy on June 25th, 2018 1:52 pm

    PATRIOTGUARD

  8. Bonnie Exner on June 25th, 2018 1:00 pm

    NO GREATER LOVE HAS A MAN WHEN HE GIVES HIS LIFE FOR HIS FELLOW MAN
    Thank you to those who persevered and broght closure to this HERO’S FAMILY!!

  9. anne 1of2 on June 25th, 2018 11:34 am

    Closure for his family, the final reward for Sgt.Matthews. Welcome home sir, and thank you for your service.

  10. Mike J. on June 25th, 2018 10:56 am

    Thanks for publishing this story. I’m glad that AGRC/DPAA continues their honorable work to identify the unknowns. Brave men and women like Percy Matthews who faced death in order to stop the onslaught of evil are heroes to all who love freedom.

    One of my ancestors is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the American Manila Cemetery, Philippines, which is an American Battle Monuments Commission site. He was killed during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal along with 80 of his shipmates onboard one of the surviving American cruisers.

  11. LIfendason on June 25th, 2018 10:26 am

    Thank you for your service SSgt Matthews!

  12. No Excuses on June 25th, 2018 9:21 am

    Thank you for sharing this story. Too often we forget about the sacrifices made not only by our military, but also by their families. At least now his family will know he is home.

  13. Veteran on June 25th, 2018 1:48 am

    Welcome home staff sergeant. Thank you for your service.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News