John Melvin Bonura
MilitaryPayroll Specialist
416th BG
Mr. Bonura's primary duty was Statistical Control where he was responsible for submitting all reports. In addition, he was responsible for other duties as delegated by the commanding officer, some of which were assistant trial judge advocate for special court martial. A man would have only been given death for a very serious crime, such as murder. At one air base in France a GI in the 416th was accused of selling tires to the French. Individuals were sentenced on a case by case basis. Such cases are posted on the service record and would impact future promotions.
As Payroll Officer, Mr. Bonura tells us that the GI's were always paid in cash. The money came from the finance department of the military. Each squadron and each group took care of the distribution of monthly salaries. Family allotments from the monthly salary were determined by the individual and a government check was sent directly to the family. The men always signed their name after receiving their pay. When moving to a different country, if the GI's had money left over from the previous country, the military exchanged the money for the current notes. Another of Mr. Bonura's jobs was PX (post exchange) officer. Ration booklets were used by civilians in the United States. Soldiers were given rations (necessities such as soap, toothpaste, etc.) and used cash to pay for the theatre, restaurant, beer parlor, etc. Enlisted men were supplied with uniforms and shoes. Officers were provided with a one-time stipend to purchase their uniform.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Headquarters
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Melun, Alsace
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
New Orleans, LA | 13 March 1921 | |
Enlisted |
Camp Shelby, MS | 14 January 1942 | |
Buried |
Metarie, LA | 13 April 2014 | Metairie Cemetery New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA Plot All Saints Mausoleum |
Died |
Arkansas | 9 August 2014 |