Ens. Harry R. Flachsbarth was born on April 18, 1918, in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, to Harry E. Flachsbarth and Lydia Rudolph-Flachsbarth who were German immigrants. He had a sister, and Harry was called Rudy by his family and friends. The family lived in Oak Park, Illinois and then at 7653 West Monroe Street, Forest Park, Illinois. He graduated from Garfield School, Maywood, Proviso Township High School, class of 1936, and Carthage College, Carthage, Illinois. During his time at Carthage he enlisted in the Naval Reserve and received a commission as an Ensign and his serial number was 098490.
Sometime in 1941, he was called up to active duty and sent to it appears he was sent to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, where he earned his wings. Next he was stationed at Corpus Christi, Texas, for additional training. While there, on April 5, 1942, he married Edith B. Trevino. . In no particular order since dates are not available, he also was stationed at Anacostia Naval Air Station, Washington DC, Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Florida, Miami Naval Air Station, Florida, and Glenview Naval Air Station, Illinois. It is known he spent two years as a flight instructor training PBY pilots.
It is not known when he was sent to the South Pacific, but he became a member of the crew of the USS Shangri-La, and took part int the Battle of Saipan and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. On June 21, 1944, his squadron took off on a routine patrol from Saipan Harbor, Saipan Island, Marianas Islands. During the patrol he left the formation to take a closer look at a suspicious ship. What it appears to have happened was that his plane was mistaken to be a Japanese plane and he was shot down by friendly fire. A destroyer sent to the area found wreckage from his plane. He was reported Missing in Action in July 1944.
MRS HARRY FLACHSBARTH
7653 MONROE STREET
FOREST PARK ILLINOIS
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT DEEPLY REGRETS TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR HUSBAND ENSIGN HARRY R FLACHSBARTH USNR IS MISSING FOLLOWING ACTION IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY AND IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY. THE DEPARTMENT APPRECIATES YOUR GREAT ANXIETY AND WILL FURNISH YOU FURTHER INFORMATION PROMPTLY
On June 22, 1945, the War Department declared Rudy dead and gave his presumptive date of death as June 22, 1945. The contents of the letter is not known. Since he was lost at sea, the name of Ens. Harry R. Flachsbarth was placed on the Walls of the Missing in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii. His wife received his two Bronze Stars and his Purple Heart.
