Date of birth:

August 16th, 1921 (Tarrytown/New York, United States)

Service number:

0 798 810/RA12 027 097

Nationality:

American

Gerard A. Inanacone entered service on March 26th, 1941, received his basic training at Jefferson Barracks, and Chandler Field, GA and completed radio operator and mechanic training at Scott Field, IL.
After Advance Navigation School at Selman Field, AL he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on February 27th, 1943 receiving his navigator wings. During a 18 weeks course Low Altitude Radar Bombing training at Langley Field, VA he was credited with damaging a German submarine off the coast of Virginia which was later found abandoned in shallow water.
He then served 14 months in the pacific from November 1943 until January 1945 as a night low altitude radar navigator-bombardier with 868th Bomb Squadron (The Snoopers), reaching the rank of 1st Lieutenant He flew 505 combat hours. On his return to Langley he served as adjutant of Squadron A, 304th AAF Base Unit and as a low altitude bombing instructor. He was honorably discharged on September 17th, 1946.

He re-enlisted as a Master Sergeant and served as an Administrative Specialist in the 300 AAF Unit through April 8th, 1947. The following day he was re-commissioned as a reserve officer and underwent training in the new technique of high altitude radar bombing at Biggs AFB, LA followed by Intelligence School training at Lowry AFB, CO where he specialized in Photo/Radar intelligence and tactical/combat intelligence. He then had a number of follow-on assignments with responsibilities focused on sorting, screening, and cataloging radar photography from World War II, as a photo interpretation officer, and Officer in charge of Special Projects (radar) at the Pentagon, Washington, DC, McGuire AFB, NJ, and Barksdale AFB, LA from June 1947 - December 1950. From December 1950 – July 1954 he was assigned to Headquarters, Strategic Air Command at Offutt AFB, NE as a Radar Prediction Officer and Assistant Radar Bombing Evaluation Officer. From there he was assigned to Ramey AFB, PR where he became the Chief of Wing Target Prediction until August 1957. He was reassigned to HQ SAC initially serving as OIC of the Graphic Construction Branch until August 1959. He then attended upgrade Navigation and Crew training for the KC-135 jet tankers and was assigned to the 34th Air Refueling Squadron as a combat crew navigator. He retired from active duty in the rank of Major on December 31, 1961. Following his retirement to moved back to Puerto Rico where he ran a Guest House in Rio Piedras, did private contracting work as a painter, and subsequently a salesman for Universal Match Corporation selling match book advertisement throughout Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

In addition to receiving the Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, he received a letter of commendation from the Commander Officer of the 868 Bomb Squadron for mission number 868-40 on 25-26 January 1944 sinking one gunboat type vessel and severely damaging a destroyer with a direct hit and during mission 868-54 on 4-5 February 1944 for sinking a medium sized Armored Cruiser.

He is the brother of Albert S. Ianacone

Bevorderingen:
?: Aviation Cadet;
February 27th, 1943: 2nd Lieutenant;
?: 1st Lieutenant;
?: Master Sergeant;
?: Major.

Career:
September 1935 - June 1939: Harren High School;
January 1940 - June 1940: Tri-State College, Angola, Indiana;
July 1940 - March 1941: Harry Meyer Co.;
March 1941 - May 1941: Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis;
May 1941 - August 1941: Chandler Field, Atlanta;
August 1941 - January 1942: Radio Operator and Mechanic Training, Scott Field;
January 1942 - February 1942: Chandler Field, Atlanta;
February 1942 - April 1942: Maxwell-Gunter Field, Montgomery;
April 1942 - May 1942: Primary Flying School, Bennettsville;
May 1942 - February 1943: Advanced Navigation School, Selman Field, Monroe;
February 1943 - April 1943: Davis-Monthan AFB, Tuscon;
April 1943 - July 1943: Pocatello AFB, Pocatello;
July 1943 - November 1943: Radar Bombing Training, Langley Field, Hampton;
November 1943 - January 1945: Radar Navigator 868th Bombardment Squadron;
January 1945 - September 17th, 1946: Adjutant/Low Altitude Bombing Instructor, Squadron "A", 304th Army Air Froce Base Unit, Langley Field, Virginia;
?: Separation Center, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland;
? - April 8th, 1947: 300th Army Air Force Base Unit, Headquarter TAC, Langley Field, Virginia;
April 9th, 1947 - August 1947: Training High Altitude Radar Bombing, Biggs AFB;
August 1947 - June 1948: Intelligence School Training, Lowry AFB;
?: Photo Interpretation Officer;
June 1948 - December 1950: Officer in Charge of Special Projects (radar), Pentagon, Washington, McGuire AFB and Barksdale AFB;
December 1950 - July 1954: Radar Prediction Officer/Assistant Radar Bombing Evaluation Officer, Headquarters, Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB;
July 1954 - July 1957: Chief of Wing Target Prediction, Ramey AFB;
July 1957 - August 1959: OIC Graphic Construction Branch, HQ SAC, Bellevue;
August 1959: Navigation and Crew training, KC-135 jet tankers;
? - December 31st, 1961: Combat Crew Navigator, 34th Air Refueling Squadron.

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• Photo 1: Bruce Ianacone
• - Separation Qualification Records
  - Retirment resume December 31st, 1961
  - Letter dated October 16th, 1955, Commanding Officer of the Snoopers
  - Letter of Commendation, 16 October 1944