French Erect Monument to Tampa Flier

The Tampa Tribune_Thursday_Mar 21, 1946- French Erect Monument to Tampa Flier.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

French Erect Monument to Tampa Flier

Subject

World War II, 1939-1945
Veterans--Florida

Description

A newspaper article reporting the construction of a memorial for Lt. Connie O. Walker and his crew. The article discusses the crash that killed Walker, efforts to save the sole survivor of the mission, and French success towards the memorial’s creation. Russell Brooks, an American diplomat, shows his gratitude towards the French people near the end of the article.

2nd Lieutenant Connie O. Walker (1920-1944) was born and raised in Waycross, Georgia. He registered in the Young Men’s Draft in February 1942, and later applied for the United States Air Force’s Aviation Cadet training program. After earning his wings, Walker married Lucille Parks and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. The Army assigned Walker to the 492nd Bombardment Group, sent to Europe in June 1944. On a mission airdropping supplies to French Resistance fighters, Walker’s aircraft crashed into a hill due to dark, dangerous conditions. Walker was killed on impact and buried in the nearby village of St. Martin-en-Haut. After the war, Walker was reburied in the Rhône American Cemetery and Memorial in Draguignan, France.

The Florida-France Soldier Stories project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal is to teach the students who participate in this research project about the history of France and Florida during World War II, about the history of individual servicemen, and about how to implement historical research methods in their work.

Creator

The Tampa Tribune

Source

Photocopy of original newspaper article, March 1946: Digitized by Newspapers.com.

Publisher

The Tampa Tribune

Date Created

1946-03-21

Date Copyrighted

1946-03-21

Date Issued

1946-03-21

Is Format Of

Digital reproduction of photocopied newspaper article, March 1946.

Format

Image/jpg

Extent

7.83 MB

Medium

1 newspaper article

Language

eng

Type

Text

Accrual Method

Donation

Mediator

History teacher

Rights Holder

Copyright to this resource is held by The Tampa Tribune and is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only.

Contributing Project

Florida-France Soldier Stories Project

Curator

Nystrom, Brett

External Reference

“2Lt Connie O’Donald Walker Jr.” Find A Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56511412/connie-o'donald-walker
“French Erect Monument to Tampa Flier.” The Tampa Tribute. March 21, 1946. https://www.newspapers.com/image/327911952/?terms=French%20Erect%20Monument%20To%20Tampa%20Flier&match=1
"Florida-France Solider Stories Memorializes Veteran Experiences." CAH News, June 21, 2023. https://news.cah.ucf.edu/news/florida-france-soldier-stories-memorializes-veteran-experiences/

Citation

The Tampa Tribune, “French Erect Monument to Tampa Flier,” RICHES, accessed November 10, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/11217.

Locations

Categories