Warren County Airman under the river killed in the Tokyo military prison | News, sports, jobs

Sgt. Robert K. Sedon

Twelve heavy bomber crew from PA were prisoners of war in the military prison in Tokyo when it was destroyed on May 26, 1945 during an American fire bomb attack.

Volunteers with the non-profit stories behind the stars (www.storiesbehindthestars.org) have written monuments in which the twelve Pennsylvania planes who died in the Tokyo military prison were honored. One of the fallen came from Warren County: Sgt. Robert K. Sedon.

Robert Kenneth Sedon was born on May 31, 1924 in Warren after Leopold August and Hulda Bertha Sedon. Both parents were born in Poland and became natural American citizens. Sedon had six brothers (William P, Harold E, Ernest M, Richard W, Delbert and Raymond) and five sisters (Lydia R, Esther O, Helen L, Martha L and Ruth). Sedon's father supported the household, which was employed as a firefighter in the acid works and later with an oil refinery. His mother was a housewife.

On June 30, 1942, Sedon registered for the design in Warren. It stood over 5 feet of 7 inches, weighed about £ 143 and was employed at the United Refining Company in Warren.

Sedon entered the army's air forces on September 20, 1943 and served in the 5th Bomb Squad, 9th Bomb Group. On April 15, 1945, he was a radar operator/Sergeant of a B-29 heavy bomber, #44-69834. The plane fell into the Yokohama Souma Girls School Yard. From the twelve man crew, eight were killed in the crash and four were taken as prisoners of war. Sedon was captured and recorded in the military prison in Tokyo (Shibuya military prison). By the beginning of May 1945, a total of 62 American prisoners of war were recorded in Zellblock 4.

In the night from May 25th to 26th, a total of 464 B-29 superress-heavy bombers started from the Marianas Islands to Firebomb Tokyo. The fire bombs consumed Tokyo military prison. The Japanese guards closed off the cell doors to block the escape from the fire. Prisoners of war who tried to flee were executed. The prison attendants were later convicted of tribunal in the war crime.

Sedon was killed on May 26, 1945 during the prison fire caused by the American fire bomb attack in Tokyo. All 62 American prisoners were killed in action during the Tokyo military prison fire. They were buried in a mass grave on the prison area.

Sedon was honored posthumously with the air medal and the purple heart. His remains were identified and attributed in the United States. On October 7, 1949, the last rites took place in the Salem Evangelical United Brethren Church. Sedon was buried on the Oakland Cemetery in Warren, PA.

Stories behind the stars are available free of charge on the Internet and free of charge on gravesites and cenotaphs via the smartphone app. The non -profit organization is dedicated to the honor of all 421,000 fallen Americans from World War II, including 31,000 from Pennsylvania. To report voluntarily or to receive further information, contact Kathy Harmon at kharmon@storiesbeindthestars.org or visit www.stories-behindthestars.org.