Stanley Arthur Loewenberg
Captain, U.S. Army Air Forces

Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was born on 9 January 1910 in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Sea Cliff, Long Island. He married before the war and moved back to Brooklyn.

Loewenberg entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from the state of New York to serve during World War II. At the time of his disappearance, he was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

On 26 March 1943, Loewenberg was a passenger in the B-17 Flying Fortress #41-24384, "Pluto." Also on board was the Commanding General of V Bomber Command, Brigadier General Howard K. Ramey. The mission of the aircraft was to carry out a scheduled 7-hour reconnaissance flight of Merauke and Horn Island.

The last communication ever heard from the aircraft was a message from the radio operator twenty minutes after takeoff. An extensive air search was conducted but no sign was ever found of the aircraft, or the twelve men on board. All on board the aircraft were officially declared dead on 19 November 1945.

The status of the remains of the crew and passengers is Body Lost at Sea (Specifically; Near Torres Strait Island):

Pilot Brig. Gen. Howard K. Ramey, O-10874 [Honoree Record ID 3299]
Co-Pilot Lt. Col. Harold N. Chaffin, O-22469 [Honoree Record ID 3627]
Crew Member Capt. James R. Griffin, O-389636 [Honoree Record ID 44240]
Crew Member 1st Lt. William Lief, O-726002 [Honoree Record ID 148003]
Crew Member M/Sgt James D. Collier Jr., 6920942 [Honoree Record ID 8158]
Crew Member T/Sgt Ortis L. Quaal, 6149056 [Honoree Record ID 157896]
Crew Member S/Sgt Robert R. Stith, 18004634 [Honoree Record ID 164559]
Crew Member S/Sgt Harry A. Johnson, 12031847 [Honoree Record ID 144228]
Crew Member Sgt Marvin Berkowitz, 6979447 [Honoree Record ID 144228]
Crew Member Pfc George T. Hopfield, 6668063 [Honoree Record ID 110052]
Passenger Capt. Stanley A. Loewenberg, O-0282379 NY [Honoree Record ID 2815]
Passenger Lt. Comm. Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II, 131324 USN [Honoree Record ID 149551]

The 2nd passenger on the aircraft was Navy LCDR Mannoccir, an Air Combat Intelligence Officer with the Southwest Pacific Force who also served as Liaison Officer with the 5th Naval Air Force. LCDR Mannoccir's participation in the reconnaissance flight was not specifically required by his duties. However, LCDR Mannoccir made it his habit to supplement his usual sources of information by personal examination of enemy territory and operations from the air, regardless of the hazards involved. He was classified as an 'Observer' on the flight.

● Date Missing In Action: 26 March 1943
● Official Date of Death for USAAF Personnel: 19 November 1945
● Date of Death for LCDR Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II: 27 March 1944

Captain Loewenberg was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Death

Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was listed as Missing In Action on 26 March 1943. His Official Date of Death is 19 November 1945.

A cenotaph for Captain Loewenberg is located at Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Section K, Site 17, Find A Grave Memorial# 24311690. The date of death on the original cenotaph was incorrect; the date of disappearance of the plane and crew was 26 March 1943 - not 23 March as listed on the cenotaph.

In 2013, a new cenotaph was placed at Arlington (Memorial# 24311690) that contains the correct date of disappearance: 26 March 1943.

The story of the difficulty incurred by David Shulman, Captain Loewenberg's grandson, and the Loewenberg family, in getting this correction made, is detailed in an excellent article written by AP reporter Matt Barakat and published in the Wall Street Journal on 25 April 2013. http://online.wsj.com/article/APdde5f0aecc87496988e1d1099ad8f927.html.

The names of the crew and passengers are listed on the Tablets of the Missing at The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Philippines.