Missing In Action Since 1944, "Flying Fortress" Pilot Laid To Rest In Bucks Co.

WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA — Eighty-one years after being shot down in France, a B-17G World War II pilot missing in action since 1944 was laid to rest this week at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Upper Makefield.

At the cemetery, members of Newtown American Legion Post 440 rendered honors as the remains of World War II B-17G pilot, U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. Gerald J. Melofchik, were interred with military honors.

In early September, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that after being Missing in Action 81 years, 1st Lt. Melofchik, 24, of New York City had been accounted for on June 24, 2025 and returned to the United States for burial.

The Yardley-Makefield Fire Company displays a large American flag as the hearse carrying the remains of the World War II pilot passes through Lower Makefield Township on its way to the Washington Crossing National Cemetery. (Jeff Goldberg)

A hearse carrying the remains of U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. Gerald J. Melofchik passes through Lower Makefield on its way to the Washington Crossing National Cemetery. (Jeff Goldberg)

During World War II, Melofchik was assigned to the 615th Bombardment Squadron, 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy), Eighth U.S. Air Force, in the European Theater of Operations. He was killed in action on Aug. 1, 1944, when the B-17G “Flying Fortress” he was piloting was struck by anti-aircraft fire, collided with another aircraft, and crashed near Néron, France.

Of the nine crew members aboard the B-17G, which was nicknamed Stormy Weather, two were captured and four were identified from remains found near the crash site. Three crew members, including Melofchik, were unaccounted for.

In 2013, historians at what is now DPAA investigated a crash site in Néron, surveyed and mapped a large debris field that was consistent with a World War II American air crash, and recommended the site be excavated to recover the remains of the missing crew members.

From 2021 to 2023, DPAA partnered with Middle Tennessee State University to excavate the site and recovered possible human remains and material evidence. All recovered evidence was accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.

To identify Melofchik, the DPAA scientific staff conducted anthropological analysis of the remains. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, Y chromosome DNA, and autosomal DNA analysis.

Melofchik’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Brittany American Cemetery in Montjoie Saint Martin, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. Gerald J. Melofchik. (DPAA)