World War II Honoree

Gerald C. Fitzpatrick

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Boston, Massachusetts

Honored By

Jerry Penry

RANK: SERGEANT. SERVED AS A GUNNER IN A B-17G ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER, WHO WAS KILLED FEBRUARY 2, 1944 ALONG WITH FIVE OTHER CREWMEMBERS DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKE-OFF AT THE KEARNEY, NEBRASKA ARMY AIR FIELD. SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE IN THE EARLY MORNING DARKNESS HOURS, THE PILOTS CONTINUED TO FLY ON VISUAL FLIGHT RULES RATHER THAN INSTRUMENTS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FAILED TO GAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO AVOID THE RISING TERRAIN THAT WAS IN THE FLIGHT PATH AND CRASHED. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AT A FLAT ANGLE, SKIDDED FOR SOME DISTANCE AND EXPLODED INTO FLAMES. FOUR AIRMEN MANAGED TO ESCAPE AND SURVIVED THE BURNING WRECKAGE. THE BOMBER AND CREW WERE PART OF A LARGE FORMATION OF B-17’S THAT HAD TAKEN-OFF FROM THE AIR FIELD ON A CROSS-COUNTRY DEPLOYMENT MISSION TO AN OVERSEAS THEATER.