Hetrick Robert Howard

Name:

Robert Howard Hetrick

Rank:

Sergeant

Serial Number:

33235257

Unit:

407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group

Date of Death:

1943-07-04

State:

Pennsylvania

Cemetery:

Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens, San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas

Plot:

Section H (Garden of Faith)

Row:

Lot H-224

Grave:

Space 4

Decoration:

Comments:

Robert Howard Hetrick was born on August 26, 1920, in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He was the husband of Erma L. Fanus Hetrick.

Robert served in the 407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, as a Sergeant and Mechanic/Gunner on the B-17 Fortress #42-29967 "Ruthie" during World War II.

On July 4, 1943, his crew took off from Station 109 in Podington, England, to bomb the Château-Bougon airfield and SNCASO factories. Hit by flak and shot down by fighters at around 12:30 PM, their airplane crashed 1 km from La Guérinière beach. All members survived the crash, but all of them were captured. Sgt Hetrick was sent to Stalag Luft 17B near Krems, Austria. He was liberated from the POW camp in 1945.

Robert died on April 10, 1988, at the age of 67, and is now buried in the Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens, San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net, www.findagrave.com