WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Gerald J. Melofchik, 24, of New York, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 24, 2025.
Melofchik's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
During World War II, Melofchik was assigned to the 615th Bombardment Squadron, 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy), Eighth U.S. Air Force, in the European Theater of Operations. He was killed in action on Aug. 1, 1944, when the B-17G “Flying Fortress” he was piloting was struck by anti-aircraft fire, collided with another aircraft, and crashed near Néron, France.
Of the nine crewmembers aboard the B-17G, which was nicknamed Stormy Weather, two were captured and four were identified from remains found near the crash site. Three crewmembers, including Melofchik, were unaccounted for.
In 2013, historians at what is now DPAA investigated a crash site in Néron, surveyed and mapped a large debris field that was consistent with a World War II American air crash, and recommended the site be excavated to recover the remains of the missing crew members. From 2021 to 2023, DPAA partnered with Middle Tennessee State University to excavate the site and recovered possible human remains and material evidence. All recovered evidence was accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Melofchik, the DPAA scientific staff conducted anthropological analysis of the remains. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, Y chromosome DNA, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Melofchik’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Brittany American Cemetery in Montjoie Saint Martin, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Melofchik will be buried in Newtown, Pennsylvania in November 2025.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
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.