SGT, USAAF WWII
34th BG, 7th B Sq - Radio Operator
(subsequently re-assigned)
376th BG, 515th B Sq - Turret Gunner
He was one of eight children of August and Hulda (Janke) Dschaak. His father, August, immigrated from Eupatoria, Crimea, Russia on the ship 'Armenia'.
His sister is Gladys (Dschaak) Williams, who still survives at the time of this writing. His father was living in Mead WA at the time of Alvin's burial upon return to the US. Alvin was married to the former Lillian Rice of Hamilton, MT, who later married James Wallace.
As the Radio Operator on B-24E #42-7119, 34th BG, 7th B Sq, he successfully bailed out of the aircraft before it crashed on 10 June 1943 over Weed, Siskiyou Co, CA.
The crew members were~
2nd LT Alfred J Demeusy, ASN O-794542, Pilot, from Oakdale NY, Bailed Out
FO George F Churchwell, Jr, ASN T-60915, CoPilot, from Leakesville MS, DNB
1st LT Douglas J Thornburg, ASN O-439091, Instructor Pilot, from Casa Grande AZ, Bailed Out
2nd LT George H Clarke, ASN O-798071, Navigator, from Cooperstown NY. DNB
2nd LT Charles L Wiest, ASN O-736742, Bombardier, from Baltimore MD, Bailed Out
SSGT Willet F Draker, ASN 35329411, Engineer, from Ft Wayne IN, DNB
SSGT William W Powell, Jr, ASN 18117310, Engineer, from Houston TX, DNB
SSGT Alvin Dschaak, ASN 39610191, Radio Operator, from Beulah ND, Bailed Out
SSGT Alonzia E Johnston, Jr, ASN 15323452, Gunner, from Canton OH, DNB
SSGT John F Kennedy, ASN 15333120, Gunner, from Peru IN, DNB
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for B-24E #42-7119.
Lt Thornburg, along with his crew, died three weeks later on 06 Jul 1943 in B-24E #42-7160 while on a search and rescue mission for two airmen that bailed out over the Pacific in B-24E #42-7011 'The Eddie Rickenbacker' Major Thorel 'Skip' Johnson's Crew. While on a combat mission over interior China to Bangkok, Thailand, this crew also bailed out of B-24J #42-72835 'Flamingo II/For Sale' of the 308th BG, 373rd B Sq, although there were several different crew members on board that day. All bailed out safely, however, Pilot Major Thorel 'Skip' Johnson reported that they 'were twenty-one days walking back to [their] base'.
The crash of B-24E #42-7160 and the site was more recently visited and documented by aviation archaeologist and wreckfinder G Pat Macha of aircraftwrecks.com
Lt Charles L Wiest and his crew was shot down over Germany on 8 April 1944 in B-24J #42-73506 'Black Jack'; Lt Wiest and 8 other crewman survived and became POWs, however the Pilot, Lt Guy Johnson was killed on the ground.
Sgt Alvin Dschaak was killed later in December 1943 in B-24J #42-73428 ‘Big Nig'; he and 8 others were KIA, there was one survivor, SSgt Robert Renner, who was captured and taken as a POW. According to the Renner family, 'the only reason he survived was due to the fire burning the harness strap that was holding him in the plane and he fell out of the plane and parachuted to the ground, he was unconscious the whole time'.
Sgt Dschaak volunteered on this mission on his 22nd birthday to serve as a nose turret gunner. B-24J #42-73428 'Big Nig' was on a mission from San Pancrazio, Italy to Sofia, Bulgaria, when a Bulgarian Bf 109G-2 flown by Dimitar Spisarevski collided with the ship and crashed at Pancharevo, Bulgaria. There was one eyewitness to this crash in the wing aircraft, SSgt Herbert 'Gordon' Esaw. The crew members were~
2nd LT Robert W Brown, ASN O-802714, Pilot, from Lissie TX, KIA
2nd LT Florian E Laramore,Jr, ASN O-448232, CoPilot, from Evanston IL, KIA
2nd LT Jack Larsen, ASN O-685656, Navigator, from Maplewood NJ, KIA
2nd LT Henry C Alexander, ASN O-674715, Bombardier, from Los Angeles CA, KIA
TSGT Cyril F Heath, ASN 12185762, Radio Operator/Left Waist Gunner, from New York NY, KIA
TSGT Samuel Schankerman, ASN 15059233, Top Turret Gunner, from South Bend IN, KIA
SSGT Kenneth W Runyan, ASN 35565427, Right Waist Gunner, from Clinton IN, KIA
SGT Alvin Dschaak, ASN 39610191, Nose Turret Gunner, entered service from Beulah ND (his home was in Hamilton MT), KIA
SSGT Eugene A Studer, ASN 37164771, Ball Turret Gunner, from Farmington MN, KIA
SSGT Robert H Renner, Tail Gunner, ASN 37469460, Tail Gunner, from Weeping Water NE, POW
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for B-24J #42-73428 ‘Big Nig'
His remains were returned in November of 1949 on the U S Army transport ship The Private Lawrence Victory.
He received an Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and a
purple heart for wounds leading to his death.
34th BG, 7th B Sq - Radio Operator
(subsequently re-assigned)
376th BG, 515th B Sq - Turret Gunner
He was one of eight children of August and Hulda (Janke) Dschaak. His father, August, immigrated from Eupatoria, Crimea, Russia on the ship 'Armenia'.
His sister is Gladys (Dschaak) Williams, who still survives at the time of this writing. His father was living in Mead WA at the time of Alvin's burial upon return to the US. Alvin was married to the former Lillian Rice of Hamilton, MT, who later married James Wallace.
As the Radio Operator on B-24E #42-7119, 34th BG, 7th B Sq, he successfully bailed out of the aircraft before it crashed on 10 June 1943 over Weed, Siskiyou Co, CA.
The crew members were~
2nd LT Alfred J Demeusy, ASN O-794542, Pilot, from Oakdale NY, Bailed Out
FO George F Churchwell, Jr, ASN T-60915, CoPilot, from Leakesville MS, DNB
1st LT Douglas J Thornburg, ASN O-439091, Instructor Pilot, from Casa Grande AZ, Bailed Out
2nd LT George H Clarke, ASN O-798071, Navigator, from Cooperstown NY. DNB
2nd LT Charles L Wiest, ASN O-736742, Bombardier, from Baltimore MD, Bailed Out
SSGT Willet F Draker, ASN 35329411, Engineer, from Ft Wayne IN, DNB
SSGT William W Powell, Jr, ASN 18117310, Engineer, from Houston TX, DNB
SSGT Alvin Dschaak, ASN 39610191, Radio Operator, from Beulah ND, Bailed Out
SSGT Alonzia E Johnston, Jr, ASN 15323452, Gunner, from Canton OH, DNB
SSGT John F Kennedy, ASN 15333120, Gunner, from Peru IN, DNB
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for B-24E #42-7119.
Lt Thornburg, along with his crew, died three weeks later on 06 Jul 1943 in B-24E #42-7160 while on a search and rescue mission for two airmen that bailed out over the Pacific in B-24E #42-7011 'The Eddie Rickenbacker' Major Thorel 'Skip' Johnson's Crew. While on a combat mission over interior China to Bangkok, Thailand, this crew also bailed out of B-24J #42-72835 'Flamingo II/For Sale' of the 308th BG, 373rd B Sq, although there were several different crew members on board that day. All bailed out safely, however, Pilot Major Thorel 'Skip' Johnson reported that they 'were twenty-one days walking back to [their] base'.
The crash of B-24E #42-7160 and the site was more recently visited and documented by aviation archaeologist and wreckfinder G Pat Macha of aircraftwrecks.com
Lt Charles L Wiest and his crew was shot down over Germany on 8 April 1944 in B-24J #42-73506 'Black Jack'; Lt Wiest and 8 other crewman survived and became POWs, however the Pilot, Lt Guy Johnson was killed on the ground.
Sgt Alvin Dschaak was killed later in December 1943 in B-24J #42-73428 ‘Big Nig'; he and 8 others were KIA, there was one survivor, SSgt Robert Renner, who was captured and taken as a POW. According to the Renner family, 'the only reason he survived was due to the fire burning the harness strap that was holding him in the plane and he fell out of the plane and parachuted to the ground, he was unconscious the whole time'.
Sgt Dschaak volunteered on this mission on his 22nd birthday to serve as a nose turret gunner. B-24J #42-73428 'Big Nig' was on a mission from San Pancrazio, Italy to Sofia, Bulgaria, when a Bulgarian Bf 109G-2 flown by Dimitar Spisarevski collided with the ship and crashed at Pancharevo, Bulgaria. There was one eyewitness to this crash in the wing aircraft, SSgt Herbert 'Gordon' Esaw. The crew members were~
2nd LT Robert W Brown, ASN O-802714, Pilot, from Lissie TX, KIA
2nd LT Florian E Laramore,Jr, ASN O-448232, CoPilot, from Evanston IL, KIA
2nd LT Jack Larsen, ASN O-685656, Navigator, from Maplewood NJ, KIA
2nd LT Henry C Alexander, ASN O-674715, Bombardier, from Los Angeles CA, KIA
TSGT Cyril F Heath, ASN 12185762, Radio Operator/Left Waist Gunner, from New York NY, KIA
TSGT Samuel Schankerman, ASN 15059233, Top Turret Gunner, from South Bend IN, KIA
SSGT Kenneth W Runyan, ASN 35565427, Right Waist Gunner, from Clinton IN, KIA
SGT Alvin Dschaak, ASN 39610191, Nose Turret Gunner, entered service from Beulah ND (his home was in Hamilton MT), KIA
SSGT Eugene A Studer, ASN 37164771, Ball Turret Gunner, from Farmington MN, KIA
SSGT Robert H Renner, Tail Gunner, ASN 37469460, Tail Gunner, from Weeping Water NE, POW
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for B-24J #42-73428 ‘Big Nig'
His remains were returned in November of 1949 on the U S Army transport ship The Private Lawrence Victory.
He received an Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and a
purple heart for wounds leading to his death.
SGT, USAAF WWII
34th BG, 7th B Sq - Radio Operator
(subsequently re-assigned)
376th BG, 515th B Sq - Turret Gunner
He was one of eight children of August and Hulda (Janke) Dschaak. His father, August, immigrated from Eupatoria, Crimea, Russia on the ship 'Armenia'.
His sister is Gladys (Dschaak) Williams, who still survives at the time of this writing. His father was living in Mead WA at the time of Alvin's burial upon return to the US. Alvin was married to the former Lillian Rice of Hamilton, MT, who later married James Wallace.
As the Radio Operator on B-24E #42-7119, 34th BG, 7th B Sq, he successfully bailed out of the aircraft before it crashed on 10 June 1943 over Weed, Siskiyou Co, CA.
The crew members were~
2nd LT Alfred J Demeusy, ASN O-794542, Pilot, from Oakdale NY, Bailed Out
FO George F Churchwell, Jr, ASN T-60915, CoPilot, from Leakesville MS, DNB
1st LT Douglas J Thornburg, ASN O-439091, Instructor Pilot, from Casa Grande AZ, Bailed Out
2nd LT George H Clarke, ASN O-798071, Navigator, from Cooperstown NY. DNB
2nd LT Charles L Wiest, ASN O-736742, Bombardier, from Baltimore MD, Bailed Out
SSGT Willet F Draker, ASN 35329411, Engineer, from Ft Wayne IN, DNB
SSGT William W Powell, Jr, ASN 18117310, Engineer, from Houston TX, DNB
SSGT Alvin Dschaak, ASN 39610191, Radio Operator, from Beulah ND, Bailed Out
SSGT Alonzia E Johnston, Jr, ASN 15323452, Gunner, from Canton OH, DNB
SSGT John F Kennedy, ASN 15333120, Gunner, from Peru IN, DNB
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for B-24E #42-7119.
Lt Thornburg, along with his crew, died three weeks later on 06 Jul 1943 in B-24E #42-7160 while on a search and rescue mission for two airmen that bailed out over the Pacific in B-24E #42-7011 'The Eddie Rickenbacker' Major Thorel 'Skip' Johnson's Crew. While on a combat mission over interior China to Bangkok, Thailand, this crew also bailed out of B-24J #42-72835 'Flamingo II/For Sale' of the 308th BG, 373rd B Sq, although there were several different crew members on board that day. All bailed out safely, however, Pilot Major Thorel 'Skip' Johnson reported that they 'were twenty-one days walking back to [their] base'.
The crash of B-24E #42-7160 and the site was more recently visited and documented by aviation archaeologist and wreckfinder G Pat Macha of aircraftwrecks.com
Lt Charles L Wiest and his crew was shot down over Germany on 8 April 1944 in B-24J #42-73506 'Black Jack'; Lt Wiest and 8 other crewman survived and became POWs, however the Pilot, Lt Guy Johnson was killed on the ground.
Sgt Alvin Dschaak was killed later in December 1943 in B-24J #42-73428 ‘Big Nig'; he and 8 others were KIA, there was one survivor, SSgt Robert Renner, who was captured and taken as a POW. According to the Renner family, 'the only reason he survived was due to the fire burning the harness strap that was holding him in the plane and he fell out of the plane and parachuted to the ground, he was unconscious the whole time'.
Sgt Dschaak volunteered on this mission on his 22nd birthday to serve as a nose turret gunner. B-24J #42-73428 'Big Nig' was on a mission from San Pancrazio, Italy to Sofia, Bulgaria, when a Bulgarian Bf 109G-2 flown by Dimitar Spisarevski collided with the ship and crashed at Pancharevo, Bulgaria. There was one eyewitness to this crash in the wing aircraft, SSgt Herbert 'Gordon' Esaw. The crew members were~
2nd LT Robert W Brown, ASN O-802714, Pilot, from Lissie TX, KIA
2nd LT Florian E Laramore,Jr, ASN O-448232, CoPilot, from Evanston IL, KIA
2nd LT Jack Larsen, ASN O-685656, Navigator, from Maplewood NJ, KIA
2nd LT Henry C Alexander, ASN O-674715, Bombardier, from Los Angeles CA, KIA
TSGT Cyril F Heath, ASN 12185762, Radio Operator/Left Waist Gunner, from New York NY, KIA
TSGT Samuel Schankerman, ASN 15059233, Top Turret Gunner, from South Bend IN, KIA
SSGT Kenneth W Runyan, ASN 35565427, Right Waist Gunner, from Clinton IN, KIA
SGT Alvin Dschaak, ASN 39610191, Nose Turret Gunner, entered service from Beulah ND (his home was in Hamilton MT), KIA
SSGT Eugene A Studer, ASN 37164771, Ball Turret Gunner, from Farmington MN, KIA
SSGT Robert H Renner, Tail Gunner, ASN 37469460, Tail Gunner, from Weeping Water NE, POW
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for B-24J #42-73428 ‘Big Nig'
His remains were returned in November of 1949 on the U S Army transport ship The Private Lawrence Victory.
He received an Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and a
purple heart for wounds leading to his death.
34th BG, 7th B Sq - Radio Operator
(subsequently re-assigned)
376th BG, 515th B Sq - Turret Gunner
He was one of eight children of August and Hulda (Janke) Dschaak. His father, August, immigrated from Eupatoria, Crimea, Russia on the ship 'Armenia'.
His sister is Gladys (Dschaak) Williams, who still survives at the time of this writing. His father was living in Mead WA at the time of Alvin's burial upon return to the US. Alvin was married to the former Lillian Rice of Hamilton, MT, who later married James Wallace.
As the Radio Operator on B-24E #42-7119, 34th BG, 7th B Sq, he successfully bailed out of the aircraft before it crashed on 10 June 1943 over Weed, Siskiyou Co, CA.
The crew members were~
2nd LT Alfred J Demeusy, ASN O-794542, Pilot, from Oakdale NY, Bailed Out
FO George F Churchwell, Jr, ASN T-60915, CoPilot, from Leakesville MS, DNB
1st LT Douglas J Thornburg, ASN O-439091, Instructor Pilot, from Casa Grande AZ, Bailed Out
2nd LT George H Clarke, ASN O-798071, Navigator, from Cooperstown NY. DNB
2nd LT Charles L Wiest, ASN O-736742, Bombardier, from Baltimore MD, Bailed Out
SSGT Willet F Draker, ASN 35329411, Engineer, from Ft Wayne IN, DNB
SSGT William W Powell, Jr, ASN 18117310, Engineer, from Houston TX, DNB
SSGT Alvin Dschaak, ASN 39610191, Radio Operator, from Beulah ND, Bailed Out
SSGT Alonzia E Johnston, Jr, ASN 15323452, Gunner, from Canton OH, DNB
SSGT John F Kennedy, ASN 15333120, Gunner, from Peru IN, DNB
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for B-24E #42-7119.
Lt Thornburg, along with his crew, died three weeks later on 06 Jul 1943 in B-24E #42-7160 while on a search and rescue mission for two airmen that bailed out over the Pacific in B-24E #42-7011 'The Eddie Rickenbacker' Major Thorel 'Skip' Johnson's Crew. While on a combat mission over interior China to Bangkok, Thailand, this crew also bailed out of B-24J #42-72835 'Flamingo II/For Sale' of the 308th BG, 373rd B Sq, although there were several different crew members on board that day. All bailed out safely, however, Pilot Major Thorel 'Skip' Johnson reported that they 'were twenty-one days walking back to [their] base'.
The crash of B-24E #42-7160 and the site was more recently visited and documented by aviation archaeologist and wreckfinder G Pat Macha of aircraftwrecks.com
Lt Charles L Wiest and his crew was shot down over Germany on 8 April 1944 in B-24J #42-73506 'Black Jack'; Lt Wiest and 8 other crewman survived and became POWs, however the Pilot, Lt Guy Johnson was killed on the ground.
Sgt Alvin Dschaak was killed later in December 1943 in B-24J #42-73428 ‘Big Nig'; he and 8 others were KIA, there was one survivor, SSgt Robert Renner, who was captured and taken as a POW. According to the Renner family, 'the only reason he survived was due to the fire burning the harness strap that was holding him in the plane and he fell out of the plane and parachuted to the ground, he was unconscious the whole time'.
Sgt Dschaak volunteered on this mission on his 22nd birthday to serve as a nose turret gunner. B-24J #42-73428 'Big Nig' was on a mission from San Pancrazio, Italy to Sofia, Bulgaria, when a Bulgarian Bf 109G-2 flown by Dimitar Spisarevski collided with the ship and crashed at Pancharevo, Bulgaria. There was one eyewitness to this crash in the wing aircraft, SSgt Herbert 'Gordon' Esaw. The crew members were~
2nd LT Robert W Brown, ASN O-802714, Pilot, from Lissie TX, KIA
2nd LT Florian E Laramore,Jr, ASN O-448232, CoPilot, from Evanston IL, KIA
2nd LT Jack Larsen, ASN O-685656, Navigator, from Maplewood NJ, KIA
2nd LT Henry C Alexander, ASN O-674715, Bombardier, from Los Angeles CA, KIA
TSGT Cyril F Heath, ASN 12185762, Radio Operator/Left Waist Gunner, from New York NY, KIA
TSGT Samuel Schankerman, ASN 15059233, Top Turret Gunner, from South Bend IN, KIA
SSGT Kenneth W Runyan, ASN 35565427, Right Waist Gunner, from Clinton IN, KIA
SGT Alvin Dschaak, ASN 39610191, Nose Turret Gunner, entered service from Beulah ND (his home was in Hamilton MT), KIA
SSGT Eugene A Studer, ASN 37164771, Ball Turret Gunner, from Farmington MN, KIA
SSGT Robert H Renner, Tail Gunner, ASN 37469460, Tail Gunner, from Weeping Water NE, POW
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for B-24J #42-73428 ‘Big Nig'
His remains were returned in November of 1949 on the U S Army transport ship The Private Lawrence Victory.
He received an Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and a
purple heart for wounds leading to his death.
Inscription
SGT, 376 AAF BOMB GP WORLD WAR II
