Remembering Fallen Airmen

21 September 2009

(l-r): Lt Col Scott Wallace, Mr. Zygmunt Klaus, and Capt John Szczepanski

On September 13, 2009, Lt Col Scott Wallace and Capt John Szczepanski of the United States Air Force joined Mr. Zygmunt Klaus and invited guests in Wadowice, Poland, at a ceremony to remember the U.S. crew of Hell’s Angel, a B-24 Liberator shot down there exactly 65 years ago.  The U.S. Army Air Forces B-24 was on a bombing mission from Italy to Oświęcim, Poland in 1944, where it was targeting a Nazi synthetic-fuel production facility.  “These crew members, several on their last mission, provide inspiration to American and Polish airmen,” said Lt Wallace.  “It is particularly relevant to those of us serving in Poland today.”   Mr. Klaus organized the ceremony at the private museum he maintains in memory to both the fallen and surviving airmen of Hell’s Angel.  Six airmen and one Polish woman were killed when the aircraft crashed.  Prior to that, however, several airmen parachuted free.  “It was our honor to participate in the ceremony and have a moment of silence at the original grave site.  We thank Mr. Klaus for all his efforts in remembering this tragic mission and heroic Airmen,” added Szczepanski.