Albert Anthony Francovich was born on 23 January 1920, at Shamokin, Pennsylvania into a Croatian-American family. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 8 March 1939. As an aviation machinists mate first class with a patrol squadron during the Solomon Islands campaign, Francovich was killed in action in an engagement with a Japanese four-engined flying boat on 6 September 1942. Francovich posthumously was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism in standing to his gun although mortally wounded.