Two Warriors Pass to Valhalla
There were several notices in the weekend paper regarding the passing of World War II veterans. Some of the text was simply written as ‘joined the Army’ or ‘served his country’. A few had a little more detail, so this is for two of them. Dave Hardin is trying to get more info on a third for me.
From the 126th USAF Refueling Wing:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Brig. Gen. James A. Carroll on January 20, 2017.
Brig. Gen. James A. Carroll retired from the Illinois Air National Guard on 5 April 1981. General Carroll was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Guard Bureau Certificate of Service, the Illinois ANG citation of Merit and the Silver Circle Pin. General Carroll entered the US Army in January 1943, and was commissioned in 1945. He entered the Illinois Army Guard in 1947 and served there until 1956 when he entered the Air Guard and was assigned as a Supply Officer for the 217th EIS. From July 1958 until November 1973 he served as the 126th Transportation Squadron Commander, Wing Material Officer, ABRON Executive Officer, Equipment Management Officer and Supply Squadron Commander. In 1973 he was named Deputy Commander for Logistics. In 1978 General Carroll was assigned Deputy Commander for Resources.
The Facebook link is here, and there are photos of GEN Caroll on the 126th’s Facebook page. Sorry I don’t have anything about where he was or what he did during World War II.
https://www.facebook.com/126ARW/posts/10154994387824173
The next is Alvin Frisque, 2nd LT, a co-pilot in the 9th Bomber Command’s 326th Bombardment Group, 573rd Squadron. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. His pilot was 2nd LT Wm. Appleton. The crew flew 13 missions toward the end of World War II. The history of the B-26 Bombardment Group is at this link.
http://www.b26.com/page/391/bomb_group.htm
The crew lists for the 573rd Squadron are here. Each plane carried a 7-man crew, including a nose gunner. http://www.391stbombgroup.com/573crew.htm
Both of these men had good careers after World War II, and large families, including great grandchildren. They came home and went on about their business. GEN Carroll stayed in the Air Force, while Mr. Frisque headed a team that developed a water polymer still in use today. These are the old heroes, and we are losing them, one day at a time.
Category: Blue Skies, Gathering of Eagles
Humble men who served their country and went on with their lives.
No complaints, no victimhood, no special treatment, etc.
What makes America great.
I don’t think a lot of them thought that they had done anything special. They just believed that they had done their duty and then gotten on with their lives. My grandfather was an infantryman in Italy in World War II and he had something like eight other brothers or first cousins who were in the war. I don’t think I ever heard them talk about it amongst themselves and my grandpa never brought it up to any of us-it was just what they were called upon to do at the time.
All of the above…in spades.
—– Rest In Peace Gentlemen
Men who hammered their swords into plowshares.
America has been blessed to always have such warriors.
Thank you for your service, Brothers.
Rest in Peace, Brothers.
Greatest Generation, went through the Depression and a World War. Came home and helped build up this nation. No demands that the country owed them, they just got busy.
That generation set an example for the rest of us to follow. Not sure we will ever see their like again.
How wonderful you are keeping track of this generation. I stumbled on this site when searching my father online. He is Alvin Frisque mentioned in your post.
Your father was a hero. Thank you for stopping by and posting a comment. The site admin and his team put a lot of effort into sharing information regarding the passing of our hero’s and the return of our hero’s to American soil.
My condolences for your loss, Sue.
What he, his pilot 2LT Appleton and their crew faced, along with the other B-26 crews, was incredible risk from German fighter planes and flak from ground batteries. Any of them that made it back alive were extremely fortunate.
We owe them a lot.