Next to the open area and playground.
Monument
A concrete upright monument with an inscribed granite plaque attached to the front.
The memorial remembers Second Lieutenant David R. Kingsley of the 341st Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group, 15th US Air Force who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism, saving the lives of his fellow cremates on June 23, 1944.
From the US Air Force Historical Section Website:
David Kingsley enlisted at Portland in April 1942. After training in 1942-43, he drew assignments as a bombardier, going to Europe in April 1944 with the 97th Bomb Group's 341st Squadron.
Lieutenant Kingsley was killed in action June 23 while flying as bombardier on a B-17 bomber to Ploesti, Romania. This was his 20th mission for which he received the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the risk of his own life. He successfully dropped his bombs on the oil refineries at Ploesti, but his plane was damaged on the bomb run and some of the crew members were injured. In addition, the plane was attacked by three ME-109 enemy planes.
The Medal of Honor citation for Lieutenant Kingsley reads, in part: "...He administered first aid to the wounded. On the order to bail out, he helped the wounded put on their parachute harness. In the confusion, the tail gunner's harness, believed to have been damaged, could not be located. . . with utter disregard for his own means of escape, Lieutenant Kingsley unhesitatingly removed his parachute harness and adjusted it to the wounded tail gunner . . . at bailout, and when last seen by the crew members, he was standing on the bomb-bay catwalk. The aircraft continued to fly on automatic pilot for a short distance, then crashed and burned. Lieutenant Kingsley's body was later found in the wreckage. By his gallant, heroic action, he was directly responsible for saving the life of the wounded gunner."
The crew of the B-17 ( 42-5951) "O Pissonya" included:
Pilot- Second Lieutenant Edwin O. Andy Anderson
of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Co-Pilot – Lieutenant William Symons
of St. Paul, Minnesota
Navigator – Second Lieutenant Robert L. Newson
of West Chicago, Illinois
Bombardier – Second Lieutenant David R. Kingsley
of Portland, Oregon
Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Technical Sergeant John D. Meyer, Jr. of Queens, New York
Radio Operator – Technical Sergeant Lloyd E. Kane
of McClure, Ohio
Left Waist Gunner – Staff Sergeant Martin Hettinga
of Anchorage, Alaska
Right Waist Gunner – Staff Sergeant Harold D. James
of Chicago, Illinois
Ball Turret Gunner – Staff Sergeant Stanley J. Kmiec
of Hamtramck, Michigan
Tail gunner – Staff Sergeant Michael J. Sullivan
of Villa Park, Illinois
Only 2LT Kingsley was KIA; the other crew members survived the crash and were taken as POWs. 14 Bulgarians are listed on the memorial died when the plane crashed in the village.
Sources:
Home of heroes.com
Traces of War
MACR 6046
IN HONOR OF 2LT DAVID R. KINGSLEY 1918-1944
B-17 BOMBARDIER US ARMY AIR CORPS
2 LT Kingsley (97th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force) was returning in his B-17 from a bombing mission on the Ploesti Oil Fields, Romania on 23 June 1994. His aircraft was damaged by flak over Ploesti, dropped out of formation and was attacked by three ME-109'S. The tail gunner was severely wounded and LT Kingsley administered first aid, removing the gunner's parachute harness and heavy clothing. Eight more ME-109's attacked, wounding the ball turret, gunner. LT Kingsley was attending the wounded when the aircraft commander gave the order to bail out. He immediately assisted the wounded gunners with putting on their parachute harnesses, in the confusion, the tall gunner's harness, believed damaged, could not be located. In disregard for his own safety, LT Kingsley removed his parachute harness placed It on the wounded tail gunner, and helped the wounded men ball out of the aircraft. LT Kingsley and his B-17 crashed near here. By his gallant heroic action Lt. Kingsley was responsible for saving the life of the wounded gunner and was awarded the Medal of Honor.
IN HONOR OF THE BULGARIANS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON JUNE 23, 1944
(List of names)
