pagesofhistory
Home at Last
A memorial dedicated to 40 American soldiers who fought in
the jungles of New Guinea and died in one of the worst aviation
disasters of World War II fi nally has a home on American soil.
O
n June 14, 1943, 35 American for a memorial stone, which
soldiers concluded their R & R was completed in 2006. They
in Australia and boarded an Army tried to donate it to the Army
Air Corps plane with six crew members. at Arlington National Cem-
The plane was supposed to return them etery, but it was turned down
to the battlefi elds of New Guinea, in the because of space restrictions.
Southwest Pacifi c. But the creaky B-17C Fly- The memorial then was held
ing Fortress crashed at Bakers Creek, Aus- by the Australian Embassy
tralia, and all but one on board were killed. until a permanent location
Now, 66 years later, a memorial to those could be found.
men has been dedicated at Fort Myer, Va.,
an Army base bordering Arlington Na- Army Honors World
tional Cemetery. A June 11 ceremony was War II POW
attended by relatives of the Bakers Creek
M
yron Swack
casualties as well as offi cials from the Pen- was awarded the
tagon and the Australian government. The Bronze Star in his
event was cosponsored by the 317th Veter- hometown of Independence
ans Group and the Australian Embassy in Township, N.J., 64 years
Washington, D.C. after escaping from the Berga work Richardson, left,
Col. Laura J. Richardson, USA, garri- camp, where he was imprisoned during and Cutler pose be-
son commander of the Fort Myer Military World War II. side the Bakers Creek
Community, and Robert S. Cutler, execu- In December 1944, Swack was serving air crash monument
tive director of the Bakers Creek Memo- in his third week as an infantryman in at the June 11, 2009,
rial Association, attended the event. Ardennes, France, when he was captured dedication ceremony.
The crash was one of the largest air di- by German troops. Of 350 American sol-
sasters of World War II and the deadliest diers held at Berga, about 70 died. Most
crash in Australian history. But the accident of those deaths occurred during a 155-
was classifi ed owing to wartime restric- mile march that lasted more than two
tions on reporting troop movements. After weeks, according to a February report
learning the truth in recent years, relatives released by the U.S. Army Center of Mili-
of the victims and others raised money tary History. During that march, some
soldiers, including Swack, escaped.
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY
In June 2009, DoD awarded Swack, now
83, the Bronze Star with valor, three com-
■ On Sept. 10, 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard
Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake memorative coins, and an American fl ag for
Erie, a critical victory for the U.S. “We have met
fi ghting in the Battle of the Bulge. His time
the enemy,” Perry said, “and they are ours.”
as a POW also was acknowledged. MO
PHOTO: GERRY J. GILMORE/DOD SEPTEMBER 2009 MILITARY OFFICER 107
SSept_history.indd Sec1:
107ept_history.indd Sec1:107 88/4/09 8:21 PM/4/09 8:21 PM
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