Jonathan George O'Neill (1921 - 1966)

Born 28 Mar 1921 in Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 30 Sep 1966 at age 45 in Miami, Dade, Florida, United States

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Biography

Captain John O'Neill served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started: 26 Sep 1941
Unit(s): Fifth Air Force, 49th Fighter Group, 9th Fighter Squadron "The Flying Knights"
Service ended: 17 Sep 1945

John was born in 1921. He was the son of Alpheus O'Neill and Ethel Wilson. He joined the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942 and became a flying ace (nicknamed "Jump") with eight aerial victories in the Pacific theater. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross (with two clusters) and the Air Medal (with oak cluster).

He returned home in 1945 and operated a crop dusting service. He died of leukemia in 1966.

Sources

• "New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS7D-LY4 : 8 November 2014), Jonathan Oneill, Hartland, A.D. 01, E.D. 02, Niagara, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 26, line 24, New York State Archives, Albany.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X45B-2PK : accessed 12 September 2020), Jonathan G O'Neill in household of Alpheus O'Neill, Hartland, Niagara, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 4, sheet 1B, line 93, family 29, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1617; FHL microfilm 2,341,351.
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQYW-198 : 29 May 2020), Jonathon O'Neill in household of Alpheus O'Neill, Hartland Town, Niagara, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 32-7, sheet 3A, line 16, family 53, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2695.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 September 2020), memorial page for Jonathan G O'Neill (28 Mar 1921–30 Sep 1966), Find A Grave: Memorial #78469077, citing Hartland Central Cemetery, Hartland, Niagara County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Sandy (contributor 47617523) .
• https://pacificwrecks.com/people/veterans/oneill/index.html
• McGuirk, Rod (2018-04-08). "Son retraces US war hero dad's footsteps in Papua New Guinea". Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. Lockport, New York. Archived from the original on 2021-01-15.