Asturians under American flag

Antonio J Suarez Jr. was born in Cudillero (Asturias) on January 30, 1925, the only son of Antonio Suarez and Aurora Corollos. He emigrated with his parents to the United States at the age of 16, initially settling in Boston and later in New York.

 

He enlisted on August 13, 1943 in the US Army Air Force, obtaining his specialization as a “Bombardier” in 1944 and assigned to the 832th Bombardment Squadron (486th Bombardment Group) in one of the B-17s located at Station 174 in Sudbury. , England, under the command of 1Lt William Moran.

 

The first of the 22 missions in which he participated was on February 28, 1945 over Kassel, Germany, where was located one of the Henschel factories where Tiger armored tanks were produced.

The next mission, on March 2, 1945, aimed at the railway complex in Dresden, Germany, a vital communications hub for the country's freight traffic.

During March and April 1945, bombing missions continued, mainly on targets in Germany, in which Antonio J Suarez would adjust his Nordem M scope and carry out his mission aboard the B-17s “The Old Yard Dog”, “Blue Grass Girl II” or the “Pursuit of Happiness”, earning two Air Medals for his service.

 

Once the war was over, he returned home and continued his studies, obtaining a doctorate in law and later taking up residence in Puerto Rico, where he would meet his future wife Matilde Ramos Suarez, whom he would marry in 1963 and they would have two sons and a daughter.

 

Antonio J Suarez died in West Hartford (Connecticut) on August 1, 2014, and was buried at the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery.

Antonio J Suarez Jr. nació en Cudillero (Asturias) el 30 de enero de 1925, hijo único de Antonio Suarez y Aurora Corollos, emigro con sus padres a Estados Unidos a los 16 años asentándose inicialmente en Boston y posteriormente en New York.

 

Se alista el 13 de agosto de 1943 en el US Army Air Force consiguiendo su especialización como “Bombardier” en 1944 y asignado al 832th Escuadrón de Bombarderos (486th Bombardment Group) en uno de los B-17 ubicados en la base  Station 174 en Sudbury, Inglaterra, bajo las ordenes del 1Lt William Moran.

 

La primera de las 22 misiones en las que participo fue el 28 de febrero de 1945 sobre Kassel, Alemania, donde estaba ubicada una de las fabricas Henschel en las cuales se producían los carros blindados Tiger.

La siguiente misión, el 2 de marzo de 1945, tenia como objetivo el complejo ferroviario de Dresden, Alemania, un nudo de comunicaciones vital en el trafico de mercancías del país.

​

Durante marzo y abril de 1945 continuaron las misiones de bombardeo, principalmente sobre objetivos en Alemania, en las cuales Antonio J Suarez ajustaria su visor Nordem M y cumpliría con su misión a bordo de los B-17 “The Old Yard Dog”, “Blue Grass Girl II” o del “Pursuit of Happiness”, obteniendo dos Air Medals por su servicio.

 

Una vez finalizada la guerra regreso a casa y continuaría con sus estudios doctorándose en leyes y posteriormente fijaría su residencia en Puerto Rico, donde conocería a su futura esposa Matilde Ramos Suarez con la que se casaría en 1963 y tendrían dos hijos y una hija.

 

Antonio J Suarez falleció en West Hartford (Connecticut) el 1 de agosto de 2014, siendo enterrado en el Connecticut State Veterans Cementery.