Small 15th Air Force POW group

[mvmhm]

The father of one of our new volunteers brought these items in...more will follow. Here's his obit and WWII Memorial entries:

 

SEDLAK, Frank C. age 92 of Clayton, OH and longtime Dayton resident, died Saturday, April 14, 2012. He was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of Slovak immigrants Frank and Bertha (Danko) Sedlak.

 

He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1939 and was stationed at Patterson Field when the U.S. entered World War II. In 1942 he married Rosemary Lukacs in Dayton. On his 30th mission while returning from a target in Vienna, Austria in 1944, his B-24 bomber was shot down over Hungary. He was a radioman with the 15th Air Force, 465th Bomb Group, 783rd bomb squadron. A prisoner of war in Stalag Luft IV, he survived an infamous 500 mile forced march in the middle of winter before being liberated in the spring of 1945.

 

After the war he returned to Dayton where he worked with his wife and her family at the Lukacs Tap Room on Western Ave. (now McGee Blvd.). He retired from Chrysler as a welder. He enjoyed visiting historical sites, reading about history, painting, tending his garden and visiting The National Museum of the United States Air Force.

 

He was preceded in death by Rosemary, his wife of 65 years, his parents, 3 brothers and 3 sisters. Survived by daughter Patricia of Dayton, son Edward (Sheila) of Washington State, son Robert (Carol) of Brookville, grandson Michael and granddaughter Lori (Ryan) McClure and niece Ethel Nadasi.

 

The family wishes to thank the staff of Hospice of Dayton and The Oaks of West Kettering for their loving and supportive care of Frank in his last weeks. Services will be private. Arrangements American Cremation Service of Baker-Hazel & Snider.

 

 

TECHNICAL SERGEANT. RADIO OPERATOR/GUNNER ON B-24. SERVED WITH THE 15TH AIR FORCE, 55TH BOMB WING, 465TH BOMB GROUP, 783RD SQUADRON. STATIONED AT PANTANELLA AIR BASE, ITALY. SHOT DOWN JULY 8, 1944 NEAR ST. PETERS, HUNGARY. HELD AS PRISONER OF WAR AT STALAG LUFT 4.

 

 

Mark sends

[mvmhm]

..his 8X10 portrait...a 1971-dated Air Medal...note the ribbon had five (5) oakleaf clusters attached, although

one has fallen off. The medal came in it's blue leatherette case and shipping carton...the reverse isn't

engraved.

 

Also in the box were his original collar disks and an armband he brought back as a souvenir.

[mvmhm]

...and some books about Stalag IV and three drawings done by a friend of his...not shown is a booklet and photo from the Cambridge American Cemetery - his brother Edward was also in the AAF (702nd Bomb Squadron) and is Missing In Action.

 

 

Mark sends

[JDK]

Nice. Those drawings are really great!

 

JD