Joseph Sarnoski

A military parade field alongside the 43d Airlift Group's headquarters on Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was named in 2nd Lt Sarnoski's honor in 2008. In 2012, a parking lot was built over a majority of the field.

This mission has been recreated by The History Channel as part of Episode 12 of its series Dogfights, "Long Odds", first telecast January 19, 2007.

Merli-Sarnoski State Park, located in Fell Township (just outside of Carbondale), Pennsylvania, was co-named for Joseph Sarnoski and Gino J. Merli in 2002; both were World War II Medal of Honor recipients and Lackawanna County residents.

On January 6, 1949, two days after the first interment at the new cemetery, Sarnoski's body was returned from its burial location on New Guinea and interred in Section A, Grave 582 of the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Honolulu, Hawaii.

Sarnoski was awarded the Silver Star in combat and by recommendation of his pilot received a battlefield commission to second lieutenant on May 24, 1943.

On June 16, 1943, Sarnoski, normally a bombardier, volunteered to fly as one of the crew of B-17E, AAF Ser. No. 41-2666, Old 666 on an unescorted mission to Buka, a small island off the north coast of Bougainville, a 1200-mile round-trip mission, to photograph Japanese installations and map the west coast of Bougainville as far south as Empress Augusta Bay in preparation for Allied landings scheduled for early November 1943 in World War II. Apparently unbeknownst to Allied intelligence, the Japanese had moved about 400 fighters into the Solomon Islands on June 15.

Rank and Organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 43rd Bombardment Group, Place and Date: Over Buka Area, Solomon Islands, June 16, 1943. Entered Service at: Simpson, Pa. Born. January 30, 1915, Simpson, Pa. G.O. No.: 85, December 17, 1943.

While stationed at Langley Sarnoski met and married his wife, Marie, and was promoted to Staff Sergeant early in 1941. In September 1941 Sarnoski was transferred to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine, as a bombing instructor with the 65th Bombardment Squadron, 43rd Bomb Group, newly equipped with B-17s. With the entry of the United States into World War II, Sarnoski's group was transferred to Australia on January 13, 1942, where in March he was promoted to technical sergeant. Sarnoski continued to act primarily as an instructor but did fly some combat missions and earn promotion to Master Sergeant. In November 1942, now based at Port Moresby, New Guinea, he volunteered to become part of a combat crew put together by 1st Lt. Jay Zeamer Jr.

In 1940 he was discharged from the Regular Army to reenlist in the Air Corps in order to train as an air crewman, completing the Bombsight Maintenance Course. Sarnoski was promoted to Sergeant, made an enlisted bombardier in B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, and returned to Langley as part of the 41st Reconnaissance Squadron, attached to the 2nd Bomb Group.

On March 7, 1936, Sarnoski enlisted in the United States Army as an air cadet, entering service in Baltimore, Maryland. After basic training he was assigned to the 2nd Bomb Group at Langley Field, Virginia, with additional training at Lowry Field, Colorado, where he completed the Advanced Aircraft Armorer's Course in 1939.

Joseph Raymond Sarnoski (January 31, 1915 – June 16, 1943) was an officer of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and received the Medal of Honor posthumously.