Mr. and Mrs. Joe Fagan received word that their son Staff sergeant Dale Fagan was killed while on a bombing mission over Germany on March 17, 1945.
Word was received April 4, 1945 that the young sergeant was missing in action, and since all prisoners of war had been released and accounted for several weeks ago, the fear of the parents were substantiated when final word came.
According to a letter received from Lieut. Steele Roberts, from his home in Pennsylvania, the engineer on the ill fated B-17, who with the navigator, were the only members of the crew who were able to parachute to safety, the plane hit by flak causing one of the wings to catch fire, after which the plane went into a tail spin at an altitude of 22,000 feet. He stated that Dale along with the other members of the crew was laid to rest in a little church yard in Germany, but due to the fact he was removed so many times by the Germans to various places he was unable to give the exact town.
Dale was born in Newton and was 20 years old in January. Following his graduation from Wentworth Military academy in June, 1943, entered the service. He received his final phase of training at Pyote, Texas and went overseas in July where he was attached to the 8th Air Force in England, as a gunner.
For his outstanding accomplishments, he was awarded the Air Medal and four Oak Leaf Clusters, also the Presidential Unit Citation. He was a fine young man, well liked by the young people and being an only child, his death came as a severe blow to his parents who have the sympathy of their many friends. (c) Harvey County Genealogical Society.
