World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Thomas Zink
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Andover, Massachusetts
Honored By
A Grateful American
Served in WWII with the 354th Pioneer Mustang Fighter Group during the European Theater of Operations. The 354th Fighter Group was the first unit to receive the Merlin-engine P-51B planes in Europe. The unit was originally part of the 9th Air Force, but it was quickly taken over by the 8th Air Force in order to escort their Heavy Bombers on long bombing raids into Germany. The P-51 aircraft played a big part in the destruction of the German Luftwaffe.