ֱUnveils WWII Army Airfield Historical Marker
From left to right, Susan Gillis, curator at Boca Raton Historical Society and co-author of Palm Beach County During World War II; Thomas R. Wood, fire chief, Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services; ֱPresident John Kelly; and Daniel Flynn, Ph.D., vice president for research at FAU.
ֱ unveiled an Army Airfield Historical Marker today to honor nine U.S. Army Air Corps personnel who lost their lives in a U.S. Army Air Corps Lockheed B-34 Lexington bomber crash during World War II.
The May 12, 1944 crash happened at what is now the intersection of North University Drive and ֱBoulevard on FAU’s Boca Raton campus.
“We are incredibly proud to walk in the footsteps of the American heroes who bravely served our country during World War II,” said ֱPresident John Kelly. “ֱis honored to commemorate the historical significance of this site.”
The crew members on the plane were:
1st Lt. William H. Carson, 23, pilot
1st Lt. Jacob M. Buie, 22, student radar operator
1st Lt. Thomas A. Lamont, 27, student radar operator
1st Lt. John J. Lominac, 25, student radar operator
1st Lt. Benjamin P. Sibley, 27, student radar operator
Staff Sgt. Frank L. Bursaw, 31, radio operator
Sgt. John S. Safieko, 25, radar instructor
Pfc. Norman R. Steiner, 20, student engineer
Pvt. Robert E. Locke, 22, aerial engineer
ֱPresident John Kelly, along with other members of FAU’s administration, joined City of Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services, the Boca Raton Historical Society and local veterans to honor the crew members.
-FAU-
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