1st Lieutenant Paul W. Mazal (Service # O-763693) was born on November 19,1922 in Loomis, Placer County, California to parents John Charles and Helen C. Mazal. Mr. Mazal was a farmer and was born in Poland. Mrs. Mazal was born in Hungary. 1st Lt. Mazal had one brother and worked on his father’s farm. 1st Lt. Mazal graduated from Placer Union High School and Placer Junior College.

1st Lt. Mazal registered for the draft on June 30,1942 at Local Board #30 in Auburn, California. He enlisted in the service on August 16,1942 in Sacramento, California. He trained at Harding Field in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and passed the program at Mather Field Aviation Cadet Examining Board in Sacramento, California and then went through the West Coast Air Crew Recruit Training Center in Santa Ana, California.

1st Lt. Mazal was then assigned to the Ninth Air Force, 406th Fighter Bomber Group, 513th Fighter Squadron which initiated operations out of Royal Air Force (British) Ashford Airfield, Kent, England Advanced Landing Ground AAF-417 and traveled there in June,1944. The 406th’s missions out of Ashford involved attacking German positions in France, including anti-aircraft sites, supply lines, roads, airfields, railroads/trains, troop and equipment movements, bridges, and communication centers. These missions were prior to, during, and following the Allied D-Day Landings in Normandy, France on June 6,1944. The 406th occupied AAF-417 from April 4,1944 to May 8,1944, prior to moving to airfields in France.

After the Allies captured the Normandy coast, the 406th Fighter Group moved to an Advance Landing Ground ALG A-13 at Tour-en-Bessin, France, located three miles northwest of Bayeux, France, and four miles from the Normandy coast. The 406th flew support missions during the Allied push into France, patrolling roads, strafing German military vehicles, and bombing gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery, and concentrations of German troops in Normandy and Brittany. ALG A-13 was occupied by the 406th from August 5,1944 to August 17,1944.

As the Allies continued their inland advance, an Advance Landing Ground ALG A-14 was created at Cretteville, France. The airfield hosted the 358th and 406th Fighter Groups, both equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. The fighter planes flew support missions during the Allied drive into Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead, strafing German military vehicles, and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops when spotted. Just three miles north was the Picauville airfield (A-8) which hosted the 405th Fighter Group and its P-47s. The 406th occupied A-14 from August 17,1944 to September 4,1944.

As the Allies chased the Germans inland after Normandy, the 406th Fighter Group moved to an Advanced Landing Ground St. Leonard ALG A-36 at St Leonard-de-Bois, France, eight miles southwest of Le Mans, France. While at St Leonard, the 406th flew support missions, patrolling roads, strafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery, and concentrations of German troops when spotted. The 406th flew bombing and armed recon missions out of St Leonard from September 4, 1944 to September 23,1944.

The 406th Fighter Group continued east, occupying Advanced Landing Ground Mourmelon ALG A-80 in Mourmelon-le-Grande, France, built by the IX Engineering Command. It was located 93 miles northeast of Paris, and as with many of the temporary airfields constructed, the airfield was dismantled after the war, and the land was turned over to local French authorities. This airbase also hosted the 358th Fighter Group, which also flew P-47 Thunderbolt Fighters. Their missions from this airfield were similar to other airfields…supporting Allied forces in their drive into Germany and destroying as much German military infrastructure as possible. The 406th was based at this airfield from September 22,1944 to February 2,1945.

The airfield at Metz, France – 175 miles east of Paris and 25 miles from the German border – was occupied by the Germans as soon as they invaded France. As a result, the airfield became a frequent target for Allied bombers. As the Allies forced the Germans east, they recaptured and repaired the airfield and renamed it Advanced Landing Ground Metz ALG Y-34. The 406th flew bombing and armed reconnaissance missions out of Y-34 from February 2,1945 until February 8,1945.

As the Allies forced the Germans eastward, they constructed Advanced Landing Ground Asch ALG Y-29, five miles east of Genk, Belgium and three miles from the German border. From Y-29 the P-47 Thunderbolts were used for air support during the Battle of the Rhine and the further advance through Germany. They flew support missions for Allied bombers, strafed German military convoys, and attacked anti-aircraft sites, troop concentrations, and railyards and trains. The 406th flew these missions out of ALG Y-29 from February 8,1945 until April 15,1945.

On March 19,1945 – in what would be his final mission – 1st Lt. Mazal took flight in his P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter (Serial # 44-33185) with fellow pilots of the 513th Fighter Squadron out of ALG Y-29 on a mission to attack targets at a German airfield near Werl, Germany, northeast of Dusseldorf, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report # 13166 is listed for 1st Lt. Mazal’s plane, however at the time of this story, this MACR was not available. Information from www.fieldsofhonor.com indicates that a fellow pilot flying behind 1st Lt. Mazal saw 1st Lt. Mazal’s plane on fire and then lost sight of him and did not see a crash. 1st Lt. Mazal was initially listed as Missing in Action and is memorialized on The Tablets of the Missing in Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Henri-Chapelle, Liege, Belgium.

Fields of Honor (source of information Astrid van Erp) indicates that on September 4, 2005, 1st Lt. Mazal’s plane and his remains were found and later, positively identified. After cremation, his remains were spread over the Sierra Mountains.

1st Lt. Mazal was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Purple Heart.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII Fallen saved on Together We Served and www.Fold3.com . Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you

noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to

contribute to it, please contact me at kgm72@comcast.net

Paul W Mazal