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Barry Cornelius Conway
This website is dedicated to commemorating the life and preserving the legacy of Barry C. Conway from Spring Valley, Wisconsin, who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. Barry tragically lost his life in action in Saidor, Papua New Guinea, on June 9, 1944. He served as a pilot with the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron.
Barry Conway was born on February 6, 1921, in Spring Valley, Wisconsin, the beloved son of Dr. John M. Conway (September 24, 1889 – September 2, 1958) and Violet Silva Conway (March 3, 1887 – April 7, 1961). His older siblings were Dr. John E. Conway (August 10, 1916 – August 1, 1999) and Mary Ellen Conway Des Jarlais, Ph.D. (November 30, 1917 – December 10, 2014).
Mary Ellen was my grandmother and we called her Tutu; I refer to her using both names throughout this website.
Following his graduation from high school, Barry pursued his education at the University of Wisconsin before answering the call to serve his country. Enlisting in the Army Air Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he did so just before his 21st birthday. Barry underwent flight training at the Rankin Aeronautical Academy in California, followed by further preparations with his unit in Colorado and Oklahoma. In April 1944, Barry flew to the Pacific Theater, where he began his combat deployment. On June 9, 1944, while landing at Saidor, a crash claimed the lives of Barry and seven others, leaving only two survivors.
While conducting research for this website, I discovered the close bond between Barry and his best friend, Howard Christenson. They shared numerous milestones together, from attending school in Spring Valley to enlisting in the Army Air Corps and undergoing flight training side by side. Barry even played a role in Howard's wedding. There are several photos and letters relating to Barry and Howard throughout the website, as well as Howard's memoirs of WWII.
While this website is functional on mobile devices, it is optimized for desktop use. For the best experience, use the top navigation buttons, which will direct you to the following pages:
Family Photos - Scanned family photos and pictures of mementos
Barry's Letters - Transcribed copies of letters that Barry wrote home during flight training in 1942.
Letters and Documents - Two handwritten notes from Barry's friends to his parents: one from Lt Raplh Simms, a crash survivor, and a very detailed letter from an eyewitness, Lt Jay Robbins - much more detailed than the official accident report. Also various newspaper articles including Barry's obituary, and a 1982 interview with Barry's siblings John and Mary Ellen.
Howard's Papers - Documents from Howard Christenson that he donated to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
AFHRA - Original declassified documents from the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, obtained from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Crew - Remembering all those who lost their lives that day
External Resources - Various links to other websites that contain information about Barry, his unit, and related topics.
Barry was my great uncle, and we share a few other coincidental connections. According to his obituary, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps on December 8, 1942, exactly 62 years to the day before I was commissioned Second Lieutenant through Army OCS. (Since discovering that, I've come across several other documents pointing out he was likely commissioned at the end of October 1942, however). Barry was stationed at what was then known as Hunter Field in Savannah, Georgia before deploying to the Pacific in 1944. 61 years later I, too, was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia before deploying to Iraq. Both of our units conducted unarmed aerial reconnaissance missions: he piloted an F-7A (a modified B-24) equipped with multiple cameras and a crew of 10, while my unit operated the MQ-5B Hunter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
This website first launched on Memorial Day, 2024, about two weeks before the 80th anniversary of Barry's passing on June 9, 1944. I will add photos and other information as they become available.
If you have any questions about the content of this website or have information to contribute, please don't hesitate to contact me at:
Updates made to the site / change log
Updates made to the site / change log
04 March 2026
Added photo from Luke Field Class Book for 42-J
26 May 2025
Added photo and video of the new veteran's memorial dedicated on Memorial Day 2025 in Spring Valley, Wisconsin.
16 June 2024
Added the full list of Barry's combat missions, provided by Chuck Varney, who runs an amazing website about the history of the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron.
Added the list of Pierce County, Wisconsin WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties from the National Archives
9 June 2024
Family Photos - added the Purple Heart and 2017 Saidor flyover photos from other family members
Letters and Documents - added the photo and other information about the 1950 memorial in Spring Valley, WI
Howard's Papers - replaced the Class 42-J photo with a scan of the photo (it had been a scan of a photocopy of the photo)
Crew - sponsored Barry's page on Findagrave.com which removed advertisements
External resources - organized the page and added info from Ancestry.com: census data from 1930 and 1940, and a photo from the1940 University of Wisconsin-Madison yearbook.
27 May 2024
Website launched
Page updated
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