Lost Airman during Battle of Leyte

Discussion about wrecks and losses as well as historic sites in the Pacific.

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hobie
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Lost Airman during Battle of Leyte

Post by hobie »

My good friends father was a civilian on a small island during the battle of Leyte. He is elderly now and one of his life long wishes is to get in touch with the family of an American pilot killed in the battle.

He heard a damaged plane attmepting to land at a small clearing behind his home, it clipped the palms and crashed close to his house. He ran to help the pilot, he was hanging upside down from the cockpit, he comforted him as best he could as he died in his arms. He heard what he thought was a Japanese patrol coming, so he had to run and hide, when he returned the pilot was gone. The information is vague, he is old, but he believes the pilots last name was Van Wyck, or Wick, or something similar.

If anyone has any information on a pilot lost in the battle with a similar last name, please email me, we are running out of time, he would like the family to know his last moments were peacefull....

Thank You

PF
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Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 11:31 am
Location: USA

reply to query

Post by PF »

1) Contact JPAC {JOint POW/MIA ACCOunting COmmand} website
2) The ABMC reports 1st Lt Harold Wicks from Iowa Died Dec 23 1944.
Served with 25th Photographic Squadron/6th Reconnissace Group. Served from Iowa. Died Dec 23, 1944. Listed on the tablets of the Missing at Manila National Cemetery, Manila Phillippines. Awarded Air Medal
3) LAstly write to Iowa State Adjutant General at Iowa Capital for sumamry of record; also place query at Iowa Genealogical website.

hobie
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Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:17 pm

Post by hobie »

Thats gotta be him!
Thank you so much, I will do what you suggested,
My friend is gonna be extatic!

Again,
Thanks for you help!

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