Son of father native of Urzelina, Sao Jorge, Azores, and Portuguese American mother, Manuel Joseph Macedo was born in Gustine, California, on March 01, 1919.
Manuel enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in San Francisco, California, on December 27, 1941.
He wanted to be a tank mechanic, however, the military recruiters stated that with the years of experience and education in the mechanical field that he had, was an asset and would be
needed as an aircraft engine mechanic. After attending basic training, Manuel attended aircraft engine maintenance schools in Texas and Chicago, Illinois.
His unit, the 405th Fighter Group, formed and began training in Tampa, Florida, on March 1, 1943 and on September 13, 1943, the Group moved to Walterboro, South Carolina for further training.
On February 14, 1944, the Group left Walterboro for Camp Shanks, New York, on February 27, 1944, the Group sailed on the RMS Mauritania for England, arriving in Christchurch, March 7, 1944.On June 29, 1944, Manuel arrived with his group at Picauville, France, for combat operations flying the Republic P-47 fighter planes and supervising the maintenance and repair of the fighter planes in his squadron.
For the duration of the war, Manuel and his group participated in combat operations through France, Belgium, and eventually arriving at Kitzingen, Germany, where the war ended on May 9, 1945.
He returned to the United States, where he was honorably discharged at Fort MacArthur, California, on October 14, 1945 and awarded a Bronze Star for rolling two live 500-pound bombs off a runway that were blocking air operations.
Manuel was also awarded the European- African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two bronze stars for his service.
António Fragoeiro and Daniel Macedo.
