| Memorial Corner O'Fallon, Illinois |
| September 2005 |
| Harry D. Fitzgerald (1925-1946) +++ United States Army Air Corps World War II |
| Harry Douglas Fitzgerald was born in Webster Groves, Missouri on October 20, 1925, a son of Archie and Oma Underwood Fitzgerald. His family moved to O’Fallon and lived at 417 W. 5th St. He graduated from O’ Fallon Township High School with the Class of 1942. Known as “Fitz”, he was the youngest member of the class and was class vice-president. He attended Illinois College at Jacksonville and while there he enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a cadet. He received his wings and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant at Selmon Field, Louisiana in July 1945. He was then assigned to Scott Field where he remained for nine months. He left for overseas duty in October 1946 as an aerial navigator. Two months later, on December 10, he was killed when a C-46 transport plane he was on crashed two minutes after takeoff from Itami Airfield in Osaka, Japan. The plane was part of the 317th Troop Carrier Group. His parents learned of his death the night of Thursday December 12. Just hours before, they received Christmas gifts he had mailed December 4 saying he would be home for the holidays and that he planned to be married in the spring. Lt. Fitzgerald was survived by his parents, brothers Robert and Richard, grandmother Mollie Fitzgerald and his fiancée Virginia Bertelsman of Belleville. He was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. He was 21 years old. He gave his life that we might live free! Memorial Corner Flag Raising, September 10, 2005 Biography and photo courtesy O’Fallon Historical Society |
