S/Sgt Nicholas J Goetzinger was the Assistant Engineer / Gunner in the Kennedy Flight Crew. The Kennedy crew began combat duty with the 392nd Bombardment Squadron in October 1944 on Saipan. The most frequent targets of their missions were Iwo Jima, Chichi Jima, and Haha Jima.

The Kennedy Flight crew flew several different planes, but the ones they flew most frequently were BATHLESS (#42-109838) and PATRIOTIC PATTY (#42-73494).

The Kennedy flight crew transferred into the 26th Bombardment Squadron (in the 11th Bomb Group) in Feb 1945 and continued to bomb Chichi Jima and Haha Jima from their base on Guam.