By Deborah Larsen
John Nelson Gessinger
John Nelson Gessinger was born in Hicksville, Ohio, on October 19, 1917, the son of Worth and Hazel Nelson Gessinger. John moved to Pontiac with his mother when he was 10 years old. He attended Pontiac High School, graduating in the class of 1934, then continued his education at Albion College and Michigan Normal School in Ypsilanti. Before the war, he and his mother moved to Rochester, and John worked in the chemical department at Baldwin Rubber Company in Pontiac.
In February 1941, John enlisted in the U.S. Army, then transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces. He trained as a navigator and received his commission as a second lieutenant in January 1943. He was assigned to Biggs Field at Fort Bliss, Texas. On February 19, 1943, John was serving as navigator on a four-engine bomber when the aircraft crashed near El Paso. Two of the four members of the crew parachuted to safety, while John and the pilot were killed in the mishap.
John Nelson Gessinger died at age 25 on February 19, 1943, and was laid to rest in Mount Avon Cemetery.