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First Lieut. Fred E. Fayard j Returns to Organization After Being iPrisoner Of War
MISSING IN ACTION
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FIRST LT. FRED E. FAYARD, JR.
15TH AAF IN ITALY—First Lieut. Fred E. Fayard, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred E. Fayard, Sr., of 232 Sycamore Street, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, navigator on a B-21 Liberator, recently returned to his organization following the release of all American Prisoners of War in Bulgaria.
Lt. Fayard was a member of a bomber formation that had bombed an oil refinery in Giurgui, Rumania on June 11, 1944. Over the target his airplane was attacked by enemy fighters and set on fire, and forced the crew members to abandon ship.
“Some of the boys were captured by civilians,” said Lt. Fayard, “but I was taken prisoner by a German officer. Our treatment at the prison camp was fair, although we failed to have adequate water to drink or wash with. Food was inadequate too. Bread and soup was the daily menu and as a result we were continually hungry. We also had the somewhat dubious distinction of being bombed .by our own ships, and it was only because of the accuracy of the bombing that we weren’t hurt. It was good news to all of us when "we heard that Bulgaria had capit- '■ I ulated and that we would be able to*-fly back to Italy.”	j
Lt. Fayard is a graduate of St. j Stanislaus, class of ’37. Since his enlistment in the Air Corps in January, 1941, he graduated from sev-' eral service schools at Scott Field < Illinois and Salmen Field, Louisiana. ‘ Following his assignment to a heavy bombardment group in Italy Lt. Fayard has participated in bombing missions of oil refineries, railroad yards, factories, and airfelds in Germany, Rumania, Hungary, Yugosla-! via and Italy. He has been awarded the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster as well as the Purple Heart.
Lt. Fayard has a sister in the service, Ensign Marjorie Fayard, who is a nurse in the Navy.
Statement of First Lieut. Fred E.
Fayard, Jr.
On the morning of June 11, 1944/ my ship was shot down by enemy fighters over Bulgaria after we had dropped our bombs on the target. I Our plane caught on fire and we all bailed out.	'	|
Some of the boys were captured. by civilians, I was taken prisoner by a German Officer. We were taken to Russe, Bulgaria, where they, started asking questions and threat-! ening us if we: didn’t talk.	I
After that, I was tal^e,n to a hospital for treatment for burns. Treatment was very inadequate and after five days I was taken out of the hospital,*.
Our diet consisted of moldy bread and soup, and before we reached the prison camp, we had to sleep on the damp floor of a brick building without anything to keep us warm. | The civilians I saw seemed to be friendly towards us, but the military personnel didn’t seem to care what happened to us.
Our treatment at the prison camp, was fair. At times we failed to have adequate water to drink or wash with. Medical treatment was very poor, some of the boys that had small wounds carried them for months as a result.	|
While at Russe, Bulgaria, we were put in a building across frorfi an im- j portant target, so we were in danger of being hit by bomtjsfrom our own ships. We weren’t allowed the use! of the air raid shelter during alerts, it is only because of the>accuracy of:
RECEIVES HONORABLE I SOMEWHERE IN DISCHAR' ' FROM MARINE vX)RPS
LT. FRED E. FAYARD, JR. .
Lieutenant Fred E. Fayard, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred E. Fayard, of this city,' who was recently reported as missing in action over Rumania.
KILLED IN ACTION *
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>■<*»!■	SS*,.	■
g PFP. HENRY LaFONTAINE ™ Marine Private First Class Henry TLa Fontaine has received an honor-j able discharge from the Marine Corps and has returned to his home at Bay St. Louis, Miss.
After enlisting at New Orleans three years ago, LaFontaine served j nearly two years in the South Pacif-j ic as a member of the famed First ■ Marine Division. He fought at Guad-
i alcanal where" he was wounded in the leg when a Jap shell exploded while he was approaching an enemy machine gun nest.
He was also at Tulagi, New Zealand, New Hebrides, American Samoa, New Caledonia,, and Hawaii.
LaFontaine wears the Purple Heart :and Presidential Unit Citation rib-Jbons in addition to his regular South Pacific campaign ribbon.
. He has been stationed at the New (Orleans Naval Ammunition Depot Isince returning from overseas.
PFC. HOSEA H. McCRIMMON '
Pfc. Hosea H. McCrimmon, son . of Mr. and ■ Mrs. D. J. McCrimmon, j of Hancock County, is now serving with the, U. S. Infantry somewhere in France, He took' part in the invasion. He,>was inducted into the! Army in September, 1943, and.was' [sent overseas; in May of this year. J
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WOUNDED IN FRANCE
PFC. FORREST LUC Mr. and Mrs. Forest Luc of this city were notified on Saturday by the War Department that their son, Forest Luc, Jr., had been killed in action in France on November 30.
Private Luc was a native of this city and was 26 years of age. He attended Bay High and entered the service November 13, 1942 and took his training in Texas and went overseas about October of this year.
His brother, Sergeant Leroy T Luc who is now in Holland had not seen Pvt. Luc in tfyree year; but was in France and ..they met j shortly after arriving there.	(
rj Besides his parents.htj’ leaves fouj sisters Mrs. Harry Ward, New Orj leans, Mrs. W. L. Jones, North Car olina, Miss Edith Luc and Alina Ma> Luc, Bay St. Louis; two brothers Foster Luc, Bay St. Louis and Sgij Leroy Luc, overseas. His mother wa formerly Miss Edwina Ladner. { The Echo joins the many frierra, of the Luc family in extending i! them deep sympathy a't this time\ ^-hein ber^verwnt. _s ____________
PRIVATE JAMES L. BILBO
Private James L. Bilbo, son of Mrs. Addie Necaise, who was slightly wounded in France, according to word received recently from the War Department. He has been in service since June, 19^3.
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PFC HOSE H. McCRIMMON
Mr. and Mrs. D. J. McCrimmon. of Caesar have received word from thsj War J3epartment that their son, PFC! Hose H. McCrimmon who was serv-l ing with the United States Infantry: in France was wounded on September 12th and died from the effects of the wounds on September 13th.
He was inducted, into the army; in September, 1943 and went overseas i in May of this year.
IN PACIFIC
WALTER FITCH, S 2|c
Walter Fitch, S 2.|c, has been' in the Navy three years, one of which j (he has seen seivice in the Pacific j {area. He is from. Jeanerette,. La.H
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