S/Sgt. Frank Thurston Chrastka Jr.

Parents: Frank T., Sr. & Mable Chrastka

Siblings: 2 sisters, 1 brother

Home:

    - 843 Circle Avenue - Forest Park, Illinois

Education:

    - Proviso Township High School

        - Class of 1943

Inducted:

    - 21 June 1943

        - U. S. Army Air Corps

Serial Number: 36752671

Training: 

    - Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida

        - B-17 crew training 

    - Tyndall Airfield, Florida

        - gunnery training

        - tail gunner

    - Savannah, Georgia

Unit:832nd Bombardment Squadron,  486th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force 

Plane:

    - over twenty bombing missions over Europe as member of Lt. R. E. Bereman's crew

Killed in Action:

    - "Pool"gunner

        - went on mission with the crew of Lt. Lewis Cloud

            - Plane: Blue Grass Girl

        - this was suppose to be his thirty-fifth and final mission

        - apparently someone shot off a flare inside of plane resulting in the plane catching fire on return

          flight to England

        - six of the crew members died

        - these men could not reach their parachutes 

        - 3 February 1945

Buried: 

        - 3 August 1948 - Woodlawn Cemetery - Forest Park, Illinois

Medals:

    - Air Medal - with four oak leaf clusters

    - European Theater Medal

    - Good Conduct Medal

    - Purple Heart

Additional Information:  Sudbury Museum

Note:  Frank Chrastka is one of the key figures in the book, "Mission to Berlin"

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