Mike J.* Cappelletti was born November 26, 1918 in the city of Seattle, King County, Washington to Pompieo Pasquale “George” Cappelletti and Michelina “Maggie” Cappelletti, nee Cappelletti. Both parents were immigrants from Italy. Madeline died in 1942. Mike’s siblings were Angelo, Mae, John, and Lena Cappelletti. The family lived in Seattle, where Mike’s father worked for the city sewer department and as a laborer in the construction trade. Mike attended Franklin High School in Seattle.

Mike Cappelletti registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. He was 21 years old, 5’7” tall, and weighed 175 pounds. He had brown eyes and a light brown complexion. His employer in 1940 was the Commercial Auto Service. On January 10, 1942, Mike married Eileen Teresa Sullivan at Our Lady of Mount Virgin Church in Seattle. Later that same year, on September 23, Mike was inducted into the United States Army in Tacoma, Washington. He was listed as single [he was married], without dependents, and had a grammar school education.

Sergeant Mike Cappelletti served in the 545th Bomber Squadron, 384th Bomber Group. In 1943, the 545th was based at RAF Grafton Woods in Northamptshire, England. According to Missing Air Crew Report #1334, Mike was the left waist gunner aboard B-17 Flying Fortress #42-24557, nicknamed “Damn Yankee.” On December 1, 1943, the crew of ten left England with the assigned target of Solingen, Germany, the location of many iron foundries. Cappelletti’s plane was attacked by enemy aircraft which caused severe damage to the tail section. Five of the crew members were able to bail out of the stricken plane before it crashed near the town of Snellegem, six miles southwest of Bruges, Belgium. Five crew members were killed in the crash. Of the survivors, four became prisoners of the Germans. The pilot, Bruce Sundlun, evaded capture; he later became Governor of the State of Rhode Island.

Sergeant Mike Cappelletti was killed in action on December 1, 1943 at Snellegem, Belgium. It was his 13th mission. He is buried in the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial, Epinal, Lorraine, France (Plot A, Row 6, Grave 70). A memorial to the Damn Yankee crew is located in Jabbeke, Belgium. Cappelletti was awarded the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster and the Purple Heart.

*The name on his birth record is “Michell,” but it is “Mike” on all his military records.

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 Fold3. 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 clock902@aol.com.

SBTSProject/Washington/King County

Sources:

WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualty List, https://www.fold3.com/image/310763500?rec=299423270

WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, https://www.fold3.com/record/701805925/cappelletti-mike-j-us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

WWII Army Enlistment Records, https://www.fold3.com/record/90839576/mike-j-cappelletti-wwii-army-enlistment-records

American Battle Monuments Commission, https://www.fold3.com/record/529847489/mike-j-cappelletti-american-battle-monuments-commission

Findagrave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56371514/mike-joseph-cappelletti

1920 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/93825341:6061?_gl=1*1wt9kfa*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY4MzU2NDU5Ni45NC4xLjE2ODM1NjcwODIuMzAuMC4w

1930 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/111940241:6224?_gl=1*1wt9kfa*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY4MzU2NDU5Ni45NC4xLjE2ODM1NjcwODIuMzAuMC4w

1940 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/66239320:2442?_gl=1*ne5614*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY4MzU2NDU5Ni45NC4xLjE2ODM1NjcwODIuMzAuMC4w

American Air Museum in Britain, https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/person/mike-joseph-cappalletti

Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/8722:9170?_gl=1*1gf1bwg*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY4MzU2NDU5Ni45NC4xLjE2ODM1NjcxNTAuNjAuMC4w

Naturalization Records, 1840-1957, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4734407:1193?_gl=1*1o5pnbu*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY4MzU2NDU5Ni45NC4xLjE2ODM1NjcxNTAuNjAuMC4w

Washington, U.S., County Birth Records, 1870-1935, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/350658:1209?_gl=1*hhk2zh*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY4MzU2NDU5Ni45NC4xLjE2ODM1NjcxNTAuNjAuMC4w

Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854-2013, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/666019:2378?_gl=1*pbc2pz*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY4MzU2NDU5Ni45NC4xLjE2ODM1NjcxNTAuNjAuMC4w

World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/36836381:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=55c0625d73ac5524291dd1a4b9eec72b&_phsrc=xOR61384&_phstart=successSource&_gl=1*pbc2pz*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY4MzU2NDU5Ni45NC4xLjE2ODM1NjcxNTAuNjAuMC4w

Mike J Cappelletti