World War II Honoree

Frank J. Gerlach

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Westport, Connecticut

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Staff Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Army August 1, 1942 at Hartford, Connecticut. Upon his graduation from recruit training, he was designated to attend the Flight Aviation Training Program. He served as a B-17G ‘Flying Fortress’ Bomber Ball Turret Gunner, assigned to the 349th Bomber Squadron, 100th ‘Bloody Hundredth’ Bomber Group an element of the U.S. 8th Air Force ‘Mighty Eighth’ Army Air Forces. His unit was based at the Thorpe Abbots Royal Air Force Airfield England. Saturday, July 29, 1944 he was killed in action, when his group was dispatched to bomb a German Oil Refinery located at Meresburg, Germany. As the formation approached the target they were attacked by German Fighters, and his bomber was shot down, crashing near Kossen, Austria. Four crew members bailed-out, becoming Prisoners-of-War, and the other five were interred in a cemetery at Hassenhausen, Germany. Personnel from a Graves Registration Company buried him at Saint Avold battlefield cemetery Metz, France. In the post-war era, this Airman’s family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at Netherlands American Cemetery Location: Margraten, Netherlands. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Air Medal and the Purple Heart. The Air Medal was awarded to the Sergeant for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight, and the Purple Heart for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.