Thomas J. Minihan served as the Tail Gunner of a B-24 that was nicknamed the Laura Jo (44-40086.) On 7 July 1944, the Laura Jo was on a mission to attack an aircraft manufacturing plant in Bernburg, Germany. En route to the target, it was attacked by German aircraft, went into a spin, and exploded in mid-air, killing all of the crew members.  The bomber crashed near Neuwegerleben, Germany. The Laura Jo’s pilot, Ernest E. Pelkey, its tail gunner, Eugene Reeves, and its ball turret gunner, John Brzozowski, are also buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery.

Information from the 492ndBomb Group Association (http://www.492ndbombgroup.com/cgi-bin/pagepilot.cgi?page=showCrewPage&cr...) and MACR 7831