2LT Robert J. OLESON

1921 - 1944  (22 years)

• Name	Robert J. OLESON  [2]
  	Robert served as a Second Lieutenant & Pilot on B-17 "Widow Maker" #42-3244, 414th Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He resided in Middlesex County, Massachusetts prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 30, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Clerk and also as Single, without dependents. He was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant on May 28, 1943. Robert was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was attacked and shot down by German Aircraft and crashed in Austria during the war. He was awarded the Purple Heart. He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on January 24, 1950. Service # O-803665 The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's 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. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Airmen who perished on B-17 #42-3244: Balnaves, James ~ S/Sgt, NY Odom, Alfred F ~ 2nd Lt, VA Oleson, Robert J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, MA Wilson, Herbert F ~ S/Sgt, CT Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett Special thanks to: John C. Anderson for submitting this record for bio updates! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gravesite Details 2ND LT US AAF [1]
  Prefix	2LT
  Birth	29 May 1921  [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Census	1930	Living with parents in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts   [2]
  Death	2 Apr 1944  [1]
  Burial	Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington Co., Virginia   [1]
  Person ID	I3304	Main Tree
  Last Modified	24 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Walter Hamilton OLESON,   b. 6 Aug 1896   d. 31 Mar 1988, Sarasota Co., Florida (Age 91 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Edna DART,   b. 8 Apr 1894, Michigan d. 18 Mar 1983, Massachusetts (Age 88 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Marriage	26 Apr 1919	Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa   [3]
  Family ID	F1648	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Burial - - Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington Co., Virginia  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S02329] Find A Grave Website. [S01436] 1930 Census Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. [S12722] Ancestry.com: Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951.