Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Air Forces Veteran Steve Nagy. Nagy served as an aviator during World War II.
Steve Nagy was born in November 1920 in Lorain County, Ohio, to Michael and Lydia Nagy, and was one of five children. He attended Clearview High School in Lorain. He played football, ran track, and was also a member of the glee club and the library club. He graduated from high school in 1938. In November 1941, Nagy married Normalea Beatrice Albright and was employed as a metal worker before entering the military. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces in July 1942.
Nagy was a pilot who flew bomber aircraft for the 407th Bombardment Squadron, 92nd Bombardment Group. In August 1944, he was piloting a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress bomber during a mission over Merseburg, Germany. He was reported missing in action (MIA) after his aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and German fighter planes and was among five of the aircraft’s crew who perished in the crash. The other four crewmen were captured by German forces. Nagy was 23 years old, and he received several posthumous medals, including an Air Medal, a Purple Heart and a United States Aviator Badge.
Three of the five crewmen who perished in the crash had their remains buried in Leipzig-Lindenthal Cemetery in Germany. The remains of the other two crewmen were not identified at the crash site. The unidentified remains were interred at St. Avold Cemetery and Margraten Cemetery in the Netherlands. In 2019, these unidentified remains were disinterred in order for DNA testing to be conducted to help identify the unknown crewmen. The testing found that the unidentified remains of two crewmen were actually the remains of three crewmen. This led to the discovery of Nagy’s remains and their identification.
On Sept. 3, 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified Nagy’s remains using DNA and returned his remains to Ohio from Germany. He was buried in Lorain, Ohio, with full military honors on Sept. 24 that year. His nephew, Rich Nagy, received the ceremonial U.S. flag that covered his casket.
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.
Writer: Jack Patterson
Editors: Nathaniel Scott, Theresa Lyon
Researcher: Yuki Harry
Graphic Designer: Kiki Kelley
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