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Polish American Pilot and Crew Found 66 Years Later
by Geraldine Balut-Coleman
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The remains of seven Airmen, missing in action during World War II, were buried with full military honors, on July 15, 1010, at
Arlington National Cemetery.
The Airmen were Captain Joseph M. Olbinski, Chicago; First Lieutenant Joseph J. Auld, Floral Park, N.Y.; First Lieutenant Robert M. Anderson, Millen, Ga.;
Technical Sergeant Clarence E. Frantz, Tyrone, Pa.; Private First Class Richard M. Dawson, Haynesville, Virg.; Private Robert L. Crane, Sacramento, Calif.; and Private Fred G. Fagan, Piedmont, Ala..
On May 23, 1944, Captain Joseph M. Olbinski and his crew, members of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) of the 4th Troop Carrier Squadron, departed from
Dinjan, India to airdrop supplies for allied troops near Myitkyina in the Himalaya Mountains of northern Burma (today known as Myanmar). Captain Olbinski piloted a Douglas C-47A cargo aircraft, affectionately called
the “Skytrain,” to support the Merrill Marauders which, in turn, conducted long range attacks from behind Japanese lines. The circumstances surrounding Olbinski and his crew’s disastrous flight are
not known and may never be known, according to Lt. Col. Christopher Aycock, USA, of Fort Sheridan in Highwood, Ill. In 1948, Olbinski and his crew were officially declared “missing in action.” It was not
until 2003, that a Burmese citizen brought a dog tag to a Catholic priest. The tag had Joseph Olbinski’s name, serial number and “C” on it. The fallen airmen were identified by their dog tags, and
other forensic identification tools were used to help in identifying the remains.
Olbinski was born March 28, 1916, baptized at St. Veronica Parish in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, worked for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), and
in the spring of 1941 enlisted in the USAAF. He attended flight training school in Stockton, Calif., and was awarded his wings as a member of Class 42A on January 24, 1942. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart. He is survived by his brother, Edward, who officially received Captain Oblinski’s dog tag at a ceremony at the American Legion Post in
Marengo, Ill., and went on to receive Joseph Olbinski’s medals and burial flag. Edward attended his brother’s military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Two caskets were used to lay the remains of
all seven airmen. A marker with the names of the entire crew will be placed at the grave site.
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