Lt. Harry Rudolph Flachsbarth

Parents: Harry E. Flachsbarth & Lydia Rudolph-Flachsbarth

Siblings: 1 sister

Nickname: "Rudy"

Hometown:

    - 7653 West Monroe Street, Forest Park, Illinois

Education:

    - Garfield Grade School, Maywood, Illinois

    - Proviso Township High School

         - Graduating Class: 1936

    - Carthage College - Carthage, Illinois

         - Class of 1940

Wife: Edith Blanche-Flachsbarth

    - Married: 5 April 1942 - Corpus Christi, Texas

Enlisted:

    - United States Naval Reserve

Inducted:

    - August 1940

Training: 

    - Naval Air Station - Pensacola, Florida

        September 1940 

            - received his wings 

            - commissioned an Ensign

    - Corpus Christi, Texas 

    - Anacostia Naval Air Station, Washington D.C.

    - Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Florida

    - Miami Naval Air Station, Florida

    - Glenview Naval Air Station, Illinois

        - spent two years as PBY flight instructor

Rank: Lieutenant (junior grade)

Carrier: U.S.S. Shangri-La

Engagements:

    - Invasion of Saipan

    - Battle of Philippine Sea

Killed in Action:

    - 21 June 1944

      - took off as part of a routine night patrol from Saipan Harbor, Saipan Island, Marianas Islands

      - left formation to look at a suspicious ship

      - a destroyer sent out to look for his plane found wreckage from the type of plane he flew

      - shot down by anti-aircraft fire by an American ship

Declared Dead: 

    - 22 June 1945

Memorial:

    - Honolulu Memorial Courts of the Missing - National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific - Honolulu, Hawaii

Medals:

    - Two Bronze Stars

    - Purple Heart

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