Col. Fonke received the Distinguished Flying Cross on the 20th day of July 2007 for his heroism while in arial flight as the command pilot of a B-17. This occurred on his eleventh combat mission over Germany on the 16th day of August 1944 during World War II, which resulted in their capture and imprisonment as POWs. His exemplary flying skills and devotion to his crew ensured their survival.
Col. Fonke served our country in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. During the Korean conflict he was pilot of the B-36 long range bomber while assigned to the Strategic Air Command. He received the Bronze Star for heroic action and valor in Vietnam. Col. Fonke served three separate tours in Vietnam. He retired in 1970 and became a real estate broker.
He was the son of Henry Fonke and Teresa Weh. In 1940 before the war, he was living in Breese, Illinois, with his parents and siblings at 425 South Fifth Street. He was in his 4th year of high school. After graduation, he enlisted in US Army Air Corps at Scott Field, Illinois, on August 28, 1940.
In the 1940 census, the household members and age were: Henny Fonze (44), wife Theresa (47), children Henrietta (24), Marie (19), Vincent (18), Clarence (16), Wallace (14) and Ralph (12).
++++++++
On August 16, 2023, Stephen A. Fonke shared with the Eighth Air Force Historical Society, a message about his father, the anniversary of his final combat mission over Germany and this poignantly beautiful poem he wrote in a POW journal that gives a vivid glimpse of his experiences on August 16, 1944.
"The sun though mindful of the clouds
Whose shadows earth has crowned
And lost to view from those below
Ne'er falters in her round.
How many deeds burn bright as sun
Undimmed by clouded boasts
This one shown through the haze of war
Far off the German coast.
A burning fortress nosing down
Into a wind lashed sea
A swarm of screaming scavengers
Her bitter company.
I saw the burst of cannon steel
Like tinsels in the sky
I saw the wispy evidence
The breath of guns reply.
And as I marked the hopelessness
The fateful trail of smoke
I marvelled (sic) that so near the end
Her turret guns still spoke.
Aboard that ship they had one chance
Some were alive to know
Control enough seemed left to ditch
Brief seconds left to go.
Seconds left to struggle free
Of parachutes and gear
To brace against the shock
Then get their life rafts clear.
And yet those stubborn turret guns
As though of their own will
Kept pounding out the evidence
Of mad defiance steel.
The angry sea's green tenacles (sic)
Arose to check their glide
And built a shaft of wary foam
Her crippled prey to hide.
And then again they reappeared
I had one backward glance
Of smoke ringed tracers streaking up
From where the white caps danced.
Of white caps dancing crisp and cold
Upon an empty sea
Of tiny specks dissolving east
In heavens canopy.
Now we will all have ribbons bright
To pin beneath our wings
And fellow men will know that we
Were in the thick of things.
These tokens we'll be proud to wear
But others are more prized
That in our hearts are worn for men
Who pass unrecognized."
By Vincent A. Fonke
+++++++++++
Jim Szpajcher (91 BG researcher) contributed this:
August 16, 1944 saw the Eighth Air Force send 1,090 B-17s and B-24s from all three Bomb Divisions to targets over Germany, escorted by 692 P-47s, P-38s and P-51s. 17 B-17s were lost and 322 were damaged. 8 B-24s were lost and 181 were damaged. 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s were lost.
Of the three Bomb Divisions, the 1st Bomb Division sent 425 B-17s, escorted by 48 P-47s and 241 P-51s, to attack targets at Delitzsch, Halle, Bohlen and Schkeuditz. The 91st Bomb Group, with 37 B-17s, provided the "C" Combat Bombardment Wing, part of the force that attacked Halle. Thirteen B-17s of the 324th BS formed the "High Group". 2nd Lt. Vincent Fonke was pilot of 43-38012, leading the first element of the "Low Squadron" in the "High Group".
Col. Terry described what happened, in the records added below from the Group Mission report for August 16, 1944.
Col. Fonke served our country in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. During the Korean conflict he was pilot of the B-36 long range bomber while assigned to the Strategic Air Command. He received the Bronze Star for heroic action and valor in Vietnam. Col. Fonke served three separate tours in Vietnam. He retired in 1970 and became a real estate broker.
He was the son of Henry Fonke and Teresa Weh. In 1940 before the war, he was living in Breese, Illinois, with his parents and siblings at 425 South Fifth Street. He was in his 4th year of high school. After graduation, he enlisted in US Army Air Corps at Scott Field, Illinois, on August 28, 1940.
In the 1940 census, the household members and age were: Henny Fonze (44), wife Theresa (47), children Henrietta (24), Marie (19), Vincent (18), Clarence (16), Wallace (14) and Ralph (12).
++++++++
On August 16, 2023, Stephen A. Fonke shared with the Eighth Air Force Historical Society, a message about his father, the anniversary of his final combat mission over Germany and this poignantly beautiful poem he wrote in a POW journal that gives a vivid glimpse of his experiences on August 16, 1944.
"The sun though mindful of the clouds
Whose shadows earth has crowned
And lost to view from those below
Ne'er falters in her round.
How many deeds burn bright as sun
Undimmed by clouded boasts
This one shown through the haze of war
Far off the German coast.
A burning fortress nosing down
Into a wind lashed sea
A swarm of screaming scavengers
Her bitter company.
I saw the burst of cannon steel
Like tinsels in the sky
I saw the wispy evidence
The breath of guns reply.
And as I marked the hopelessness
The fateful trail of smoke
I marvelled (sic) that so near the end
Her turret guns still spoke.
Aboard that ship they had one chance
Some were alive to know
Control enough seemed left to ditch
Brief seconds left to go.
Seconds left to struggle free
Of parachutes and gear
To brace against the shock
Then get their life rafts clear.
And yet those stubborn turret guns
As though of their own will
Kept pounding out the evidence
Of mad defiance steel.
The angry sea's green tenacles (sic)
Arose to check their glide
And built a shaft of wary foam
Her crippled prey to hide.
And then again they reappeared
I had one backward glance
Of smoke ringed tracers streaking up
From where the white caps danced.
Of white caps dancing crisp and cold
Upon an empty sea
Of tiny specks dissolving east
In heavens canopy.
Now we will all have ribbons bright
To pin beneath our wings
And fellow men will know that we
Were in the thick of things.
These tokens we'll be proud to wear
But others are more prized
That in our hearts are worn for men
Who pass unrecognized."
By Vincent A. Fonke
+++++++++++
Jim Szpajcher (91 BG researcher) contributed this:
August 16, 1944 saw the Eighth Air Force send 1,090 B-17s and B-24s from all three Bomb Divisions to targets over Germany, escorted by 692 P-47s, P-38s and P-51s. 17 B-17s were lost and 322 were damaged. 8 B-24s were lost and 181 were damaged. 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s were lost.
Of the three Bomb Divisions, the 1st Bomb Division sent 425 B-17s, escorted by 48 P-47s and 241 P-51s, to attack targets at Delitzsch, Halle, Bohlen and Schkeuditz. The 91st Bomb Group, with 37 B-17s, provided the "C" Combat Bombardment Wing, part of the force that attacked Halle. Thirteen B-17s of the 324th BS formed the "High Group". 2nd Lt. Vincent Fonke was pilot of 43-38012, leading the first element of the "Low Squadron" in the "High Group".
Col. Terry described what happened, in the records added below from the Group Mission report for August 16, 1944.
Col. Fonke received the Distinguished Flying Cross on the 20th day of July 2007 for his heroism while in arial flight as the command pilot of a B-17. This occurred on his eleventh combat mission over Germany on the 16th day of August 1944 during World War II, which resulted in their capture and imprisonment as POWs. His exemplary flying skills and devotion to his crew ensured their survival.
Col. Fonke served our country in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. During the Korean conflict he was pilot of the B-36 long range bomber while assigned to the Strategic Air Command. He received the Bronze Star for heroic action and valor in Vietnam. Col. Fonke served three separate tours in Vietnam. He retired in 1970 and became a real estate broker.
He was the son of Henry Fonke and Teresa Weh. In 1940 before the war, he was living in Breese, Illinois, with his parents and siblings at 425 South Fifth Street. He was in his 4th year of high school. After graduation, he enlisted in US Army Air Corps at Scott Field, Illinois, on August 28, 1940.
In the 1940 census, the household members and age were: Henny Fonze (44), wife Theresa (47), children Henrietta (24), Marie (19), Vincent (18), Clarence (16), Wallace (14) and Ralph (12).
++++++++
On August 16, 2023, Stephen A. Fonke shared with the Eighth Air Force Historical Society, a message about his father, the anniversary of his final combat mission over Germany and this poignantly beautiful poem he wrote in a POW journal that gives a vivid glimpse of his experiences on August 16, 1944.
"The sun though mindful of the clouds
Whose shadows earth has crowned
And lost to view from those below
Ne'er falters in her round.
How many deeds burn bright as sun
Undimmed by clouded boasts
This one shown through the haze of war
Far off the German coast.
A burning fortress nosing down
Into a wind lashed sea
A swarm of screaming scavengers
Her bitter company.
I saw the burst of cannon steel
Like tinsels in the sky
I saw the wispy evidence
The breath of guns reply.
And as I marked the hopelessness
The fateful trail of smoke
I marvelled (sic) that so near the end
Her turret guns still spoke.
Aboard that ship they had one chance
Some were alive to know
Control enough seemed left to ditch
Brief seconds left to go.
Seconds left to struggle free
Of parachutes and gear
To brace against the shock
Then get their life rafts clear.
And yet those stubborn turret guns
As though of their own will
Kept pounding out the evidence
Of mad defiance steel.
The angry sea's green tenacles (sic)
Arose to check their glide
And built a shaft of wary foam
Her crippled prey to hide.
And then again they reappeared
I had one backward glance
Of smoke ringed tracers streaking up
From where the white caps danced.
Of white caps dancing crisp and cold
Upon an empty sea
Of tiny specks dissolving east
In heavens canopy.
Now we will all have ribbons bright
To pin beneath our wings
And fellow men will know that we
Were in the thick of things.
These tokens we'll be proud to wear
But others are more prized
That in our hearts are worn for men
Who pass unrecognized."
By Vincent A. Fonke
+++++++++++
Jim Szpajcher (91 BG researcher) contributed this:
August 16, 1944 saw the Eighth Air Force send 1,090 B-17s and B-24s from all three Bomb Divisions to targets over Germany, escorted by 692 P-47s, P-38s and P-51s. 17 B-17s were lost and 322 were damaged. 8 B-24s were lost and 181 were damaged. 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s were lost.
Of the three Bomb Divisions, the 1st Bomb Division sent 425 B-17s, escorted by 48 P-47s and 241 P-51s, to attack targets at Delitzsch, Halle, Bohlen and Schkeuditz. The 91st Bomb Group, with 37 B-17s, provided the "C" Combat Bombardment Wing, part of the force that attacked Halle. Thirteen B-17s of the 324th BS formed the "High Group". 2nd Lt. Vincent Fonke was pilot of 43-38012, leading the first element of the "Low Squadron" in the "High Group".
Col. Terry described what happened, in the records added below from the Group Mission report for August 16, 1944.
Col. Fonke served our country in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. During the Korean conflict he was pilot of the B-36 long range bomber while assigned to the Strategic Air Command. He received the Bronze Star for heroic action and valor in Vietnam. Col. Fonke served three separate tours in Vietnam. He retired in 1970 and became a real estate broker.
He was the son of Henry Fonke and Teresa Weh. In 1940 before the war, he was living in Breese, Illinois, with his parents and siblings at 425 South Fifth Street. He was in his 4th year of high school. After graduation, he enlisted in US Army Air Corps at Scott Field, Illinois, on August 28, 1940.
In the 1940 census, the household members and age were: Henny Fonze (44), wife Theresa (47), children Henrietta (24), Marie (19), Vincent (18), Clarence (16), Wallace (14) and Ralph (12).
++++++++
On August 16, 2023, Stephen A. Fonke shared with the Eighth Air Force Historical Society, a message about his father, the anniversary of his final combat mission over Germany and this poignantly beautiful poem he wrote in a POW journal that gives a vivid glimpse of his experiences on August 16, 1944.
"The sun though mindful of the clouds
Whose shadows earth has crowned
And lost to view from those below
Ne'er falters in her round.
How many deeds burn bright as sun
Undimmed by clouded boasts
This one shown through the haze of war
Far off the German coast.
A burning fortress nosing down
Into a wind lashed sea
A swarm of screaming scavengers
Her bitter company.
I saw the burst of cannon steel
Like tinsels in the sky
I saw the wispy evidence
The breath of guns reply.
And as I marked the hopelessness
The fateful trail of smoke
I marvelled (sic) that so near the end
Her turret guns still spoke.
Aboard that ship they had one chance
Some were alive to know
Control enough seemed left to ditch
Brief seconds left to go.
Seconds left to struggle free
Of parachutes and gear
To brace against the shock
Then get their life rafts clear.
And yet those stubborn turret guns
As though of their own will
Kept pounding out the evidence
Of mad defiance steel.
The angry sea's green tenacles (sic)
Arose to check their glide
And built a shaft of wary foam
Her crippled prey to hide.
And then again they reappeared
I had one backward glance
Of smoke ringed tracers streaking up
From where the white caps danced.
Of white caps dancing crisp and cold
Upon an empty sea
Of tiny specks dissolving east
In heavens canopy.
Now we will all have ribbons bright
To pin beneath our wings
And fellow men will know that we
Were in the thick of things.
These tokens we'll be proud to wear
But others are more prized
That in our hearts are worn for men
Who pass unrecognized."
By Vincent A. Fonke
+++++++++++
Jim Szpajcher (91 BG researcher) contributed this:
August 16, 1944 saw the Eighth Air Force send 1,090 B-17s and B-24s from all three Bomb Divisions to targets over Germany, escorted by 692 P-47s, P-38s and P-51s. 17 B-17s were lost and 322 were damaged. 8 B-24s were lost and 181 were damaged. 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s were lost.
Of the three Bomb Divisions, the 1st Bomb Division sent 425 B-17s, escorted by 48 P-47s and 241 P-51s, to attack targets at Delitzsch, Halle, Bohlen and Schkeuditz. The 91st Bomb Group, with 37 B-17s, provided the "C" Combat Bombardment Wing, part of the force that attacked Halle. Thirteen B-17s of the 324th BS formed the "High Group". 2nd Lt. Vincent Fonke was pilot of 43-38012, leading the first element of the "Low Squadron" in the "High Group".
Col. Terry described what happened, in the records added below from the Group Mission report for August 16, 1944.
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