George Prezioso

George Prezioso, 95, of Belleville, passed away on January 9, 2015 at the VA Hospital, Lyons, NJ.
Funeral services will be conducted by the Zarro Funeral Home, 145 Harrison Street, Bloomfield, NJ on Thursday at 9:00 am followed by a mass at 10:30am at St.Anthony's Church, Belleville. The burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Bloomfield. Visitation will be 4-8pm. on Wednesday, January 14, 2015.
George joined the CCC at age 17 and then joined the US Army in 1939. Assigned to the 43rd Bombardment Group, 63 rd Bombardment Squadron he was sent overseas to Australia. Trained as a radio operator, he remembers being able to achieve roughly 35 words per minute in Morse Code. He flew combat mission from 7-MILE Drome near Port Moresby as a radio oerator and gunner on a variety of B-17 crews beginning on April 5, 1943.
On April 20, 1943 he flew a mission against Wewak, flying with Captain Folmer Sogaard in B-17F " Fightin' Swede" 41-24520 that skip bombed a tanker which was "burning fiercely" and "definitely sunk", then bombed the airfield. Only other shipping damage claimed on that mission was Lt. Willia, O"Brien in B-17F "Tailsman" claiming two "very near misses" on another ship.
While flying as a radio operator during a night bombing mission on the night of July 10-11, 1943, he survived the ditching of B-17F "Black Jack / joker's Wild" 41-24521 off Cape Vogel and was rescued along with the entire crew, if you would like to know about this here is the link http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/41-24521.html . Later was assigned to the 317 th Troop Carrier Group, 39th Troop Carrier Squadron, flying B-17s converted to armed transports, with their lower turret removed and cargo bins installed in the bomb bay. They participated in mission dropping supplies to Allied troops beyond the reach of fighter escort.
I total, he flew 72 combat missions totaling over 500 combat hours. In late 1944, he returned to the United States and spent the remainder of the war stateside. Postwar, he worked for Curtis Wright, in Woodridge, building engines. He lived and retired in his hometown New Jersey in the Silver Lake Section of Belleville.
George was a member of the Belleville Senior Citizens Club and the Silver Lake Civic Association.
He is survived by his sister, Assunta Pipitone and many loving nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Raffaella (nee Squitieri) and Salvatore Prezioso; sisters, Margaret Raimondi and Eleanor Nigro; brothers, Salvatore and Carmen Prezioso.
In lieu of flowers donations will be accepted in his memory to the VA Hospital, East Orange, NJ.