Gregory Pasquale Aversa was born November 23, 1922 in Utica, NY to Ralph Aversa and Mary Ann Critelli. His parents were from Italy and they came to the United States in 1905. His dad found work as a laborer in a local mill and later was a plumber. He was the oldest of their four children which included Salvatore, Ralph and Mary.

He registered for the draft in Utica, NY (no date is entered on his draft registration card). He was 5'-6" tall and weighed 166 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. He lived on Nicholas St. in Utica and worked at Griffin and Hoxie on Catherine St. in Utica. Gregory is drafted into the service on January 27, 1943 through Utica, NY and given service number 32745138. He reported having completed two years of high school at the time.

He did his training at Camp Upton, NY, in Miami, Florida and then Albuquerque, New Mexico. From there he went on to Amarillo Army Air Field, Texas for training in aviation mechanics. He is assigned to the 334th Bombardment Squadron which was part of the 95th Bombardment Wing stationed at Biggs Air Force Base in Texas. The 95th arrived in England in the spring of 1943 and after short stays at Alconbury and Framlingham moved to Horham Airfield, Station 119. From May 14, 1943 until May 25, 1945 the 95th Bomb Group flew 334 missions.

The Bomb Group's 134th mission, on May 24, 1944, was to the Friedrichsirasse Railway Station in Berlin, Germany. It was T/Sgt. Aversa's 7th mission and he was the Top Turret Gunner aboard "Tornado" a B-17 Flying Fortress, #42-39924. The weather was reported cloudy. Tornado was seen dropping behind the formation after it passed over the target. It was believed that the aircraft was hit by flak. The B-17 crashed near Germendorf rail station west of Oranienburg, Germany.

T/Sgt. Gregory Aversa's remains were initially buried in a local cemetery by the enemy. Captured records later revealed his burial location and he was returned to the United States during the government's body recovery program. He was laid to rest on February 27, 1952 in a joint grave, Arlington National Cemetery. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Medal posthumously.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

95th Bomb Group (H) website at https://95thbg.com accessed on October 13, 2025.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15433904/gregory_pasquale-aversa: accessed October 8, 2025), memorial page for TSGT Gregory Pasquale Aversa (24 Nov 1923–24 May 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 15433904, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Hope (contributor 46790939).

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Missing Air Crew Report number 5160: NAID:90975554: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Record Group 92.

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 05582; Reel: 222

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Air Force Award Cards [Air Medal]: Atkins, Alfred – Azzorpadi, Harry; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64.

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 02; Assembly District: 01; City: Utica Ward 08; County: Oneida; Page: 59

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri, Interment Control Forms, Ashley, Rullell D. - Avila, Manuel B. (3 of 3), NAID: 137312664;Record Group: Records of the Quartermaster General, 92.

"Roman Gets medal for Son Who Died", Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, March 16, 1945, pg. 2

State population census schedules, 1925. Albany, New York: New York State Archives.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Page: 18B; Enumeration District: 0132; FHL microfilm: 2341356

Supporting Documents

The Missing Air Crew Report (83 pages) 

Additional Supporting Documents