Apologies for the noise caused by handling the camera during the video.
Today, we gather as the Daughters of the American Revolution, veterans, community members, and family to solemnly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the death of 1st Lt. Frank Yawitz and three other brave young Americans.
On September 24th, 1944, their B-26 bomber "Baby Doll III" crashed on the outskirts of the village of Blackmore, UK as they returned from France to Matching airfield in Essex. Frank Yawitz was just 28 years old.
A navigator with the 391st Bombardment Group of the US Ninth Army Air Force, Yawitz was a native Missourian from an Orthodox Jewish family that had fled the murderous Russian pogroms to settle in St. Louis. He left behind parents Morris and Dora, siblings Florine and Sidney, and a life of promise cut heartbreakingly short.
Yawitz had already earned the Air Medal for heroism and the Purple Heart. On that fateful night, inclement weather caused the pilot to lose contact with the rest of the formation while crossing the English Channel. With no guiding lights shining below due to the wartime blackout, and the stars completely obscured above, they were flying blind towards their destination airfield.
In the pitch darkness, "Baby Doll III" went tragically off course, crashing just miles from Matching airfield. The entire crew perished in the blink of an eye.
While the circumstances of their deaths were cruel, we must not let their sacrifice be in vain. Yawitz and his crewmates gave their lives so that liberty could prevail over tyranny, allowing future generations to live in freedom.
His family arranged for Yawitz's remains to be transported back home, seeking some semblance of solace. We can find solace in celebrating how he lived - with idealism, courage, and a willingness to risk all to defeat the horrors of oppression.
On this solemn 80th anniversary, we rededicate ourselves to pursuing lasting peace. And we draw inspiration from the ultimate sacrifice of heroes like Frank Yawitz, who died defending the democratic values we still cherish today.
His spirit, and those of his fallen comrades, must burn eternal in our national memory. We have an obligation to ensure their heroic story is never forgotten by future generations. May their souls forever rest in peace.
24 сен 2024
