Entered the service from New York.

Technical Sergeant Frank C Pilato, New York, Service Number: 32378333, flew as a radio operator on B-17s with the 560th Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group. While on his 6th combat mission, 30 Dec 1943, during a mission to Ludwigshafen, Germany, Pilato's aircraft, B-17 #42-31149 called "My Day", was crippled by heavy flak and on the return crashed in the English Channel 20 miles of Isle of Wight, England. Four crewmen were rescued. Pilato was not among them.

Years later, one of the survivors, SSgt. John Mont, ball turret gunner wrote to Pilato's sister, "We hit the water with a severe jolt and I was the second crew member out to secure one of the 5-man life rafts. It was cold that day and we have a very rough sea. The second raft that Frank was assigned to never inflated... Hypothermia must have set in and Frank must have fallen into a deep fatal sleep and was delivered into the hands of God.

"I have been a firm believer all these years that I am here today because of the efforts of Frank on that fateful day. He was the one who sent out our May Day distress signal. He was the one who was in touch with the English Air Sea Rescue Command... The result of all this was British aircraft locating our ditch."

Pilato was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.

Entered the service from New York.

Technical Sergeant Frank C Pilato, New York, Service Number: 32378333, flew as a radio operator on B-17s with the 560th Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group. While on his 6th combat mission, 30 Dec 1943, during a mission to Ludwigshafen, Germany, Pilato's aircraft, B-17 #42-31149 called "My Day", was crippled by heavy flak and on the return crashed in the English Channel 20 miles of Isle of Wight, England. Four crewmen were rescued. Pilato was not among them.

Years later, one of the survivors, SSgt. John Mont, ball turret gunner wrote to Pilato's sister, "We hit the water with a severe jolt and I was the second crew member out to secure one of the 5-man life rafts. It was cold that day and we have a very rough sea. The second raft that Frank was assigned to never inflated... Hypothermia must have set in and Frank must have fallen into a deep fatal sleep and was delivered into the hands of God.

"I have been a firm believer all these years that I am here today because of the efforts of Frank on that fateful day. He was the one who sent out our May Day distress signal. He was the one who was in touch with the English Air Sea Rescue Command... The result of all this was British aircraft locating our ditch."

Pilato was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.