World War II Honoree

Eli Baldea

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Indiana Harbor, Indiana

Relationship

Friend

JOINED THE ARMY AIR CORPS IN 1942, IN RESPONSE TO THE BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR IN DECEMBER OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR. HE BECAME A NAVIGATOR ON A B-24 AND LATER B-17 AIRCRAFT, AND WAS STATIONED IN MENDLESHAM, ENGLAND. HE WAS TAKEN PRISONER OF WAR DURING HIS 24TH MISSION OVER GERMANY, IN OCTOBER 1944, WHEN HIS PLANE WAS SHOT DOWN AND CREW WAS FORCED TO BAIL OUT OVER ENEMY TERRITORY. HE SPENT THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS OF THE WAR AS A POW IN A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP IN GERMANY, AND WAS LIBERATED BY GENERAL PATTON'S 14TH ARMORED DIVISION IN APRIL 1945. HE STAYED ACTIVE WITH THE AIR FORCE FOR 19 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF THE 9626TH RESERVE SQUADRON, GAINING THE RANK OF COLONEL. IN 1985, HE TOOK OVER AS EDITOR OF A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER THAT RECOUNTED THE STORIES AND REMEMBERED THE SPIRIT OF THOSE BRAVE SOULS WHO FOUGHT IN THE 34TH BOMB GROUP OVER GERMANY DURING WWII. THE NEWSLETTER, MENDLESHAM MEMORIES, EVENTUALLY MADE ITS WAY TO OVER 2,000 PEOPLE WHO READ IT WITH INTEREST. ELI CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES AND PHOTOGRAPHS, AND MET ANNUALLY AT REUNIONS HELD FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE MIGHTY EIGHTH AIR FORCE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. ELI STAYED ON AS EDITOR OF THE NEWSLETTER FOR 12 YEARS AND SERVED A TERM AS PRESIDENT OF THE 34TH BOMB GROUP REUNION COMMITTEE. HE PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 20, 2002.