S/Sgt. Frank Thurston Chrastka
Born: 3 March 1925 – Chicago, Illinois
Parents: Frank T., Sr. and Mable Chrastka
Siblings: 2 sisters, 1 brother
Home:
– 843 Circle Avenue – Forest Park, Illinois
Education:
– Proviso Township High School
– Class of 1943
Selective Service Registration: 3 March 1943
Contact Person: Frank Chrastka – father
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 a member of Lt. R. E. Bereman’s crew
Killed in Action:
– “Pool” gunner
– went on a mission with the crew of Lt. Lewis Cloud
– Plane: Blue Grass Girl
– this was supposed to be his thirty-fifth and final mission
– apparently, someone shot off a flare inside of the plane resulting in the plane catching fire on the 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
– Frank Chrastka is one of the key figures in the book, “Mission to Berlin”
