WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Gustave Secunda, 30, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 30, 2025.
In the spring of 1944, Secunda was the radio operator on a B-17G "Flying Fortress" bomber, assigned to 710th Bombardment Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group. He was reportedly killed when his aircraft crashed in the North Sea while on a mission to Belgium. According to the co-pilot, the aircraft had bullet holes along the right wing, most likely from another B-17 in the formation testing its guns. When the aircraft lost control, three of the crewmembers bailed out, two of whom survived, while the remaining seven crewmembers, including Secunda, died in the crash.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Secunda's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, https://www.linkedin.com/company/dodpaa, https://www.instagram.com/dodpaa/, or https://x.com/dodpaa.