John W. Myrtetus

FIRST LIEUTENANT JOHN S. MYRTETUS was a 1935 graduate of Collingswood NJ High School. He worked for a year for the Public Service Gas and Electric Company, and the entered the United States Military Academy at West Point NY after being appointed by local Congressman Charles A. Wolverton. He graduated 61st in a class of 514 at West Point, while qualifying for flight training, in June of 1943, after a year of training in bombers. He received further training on the B-17 bomber in Louisiana, California and New Mexico. In January 1944, he was able to come home on furlough before flying with his crew to England, around Easter of that year. They were assigned to the 612th Bomber Squadron of the 401st Bomber Group. He earned a promotion to First Lieutenant sometime during this period.

First Lieutenant John Myrtetus was shot down over Caen, France on a mission where his aircraft was the lead plane, on June 25, 1944. He would have been promoted to captain after this mission.  

John Myrtetus was survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Belford Myrtetus, of Collingswood NJ, a brother George, and a sister, Elizabeth, who was married to the future Congressman and Governor of New Jersey, William T. Cahill.

Camden
Courier-Post

June 1, 1949

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