Spring Militaria, Art, Rock Music Auction
Lot 106:
Description
Made by the American Optical Company, and issued to Lt. Thomas Zachok. The stam on the outside of the box indicates that these were issued to Lt. Zachok on April 23rd, 1943. They do show some use, but are still in very good to excellent condition. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Thom volunteered for service in the U.S. Army Air Forces and was later assigned to the 41st Bombardment Group of the 7th Air Force. He served with distinction in the 47th Bomb Squadron, known informally as “The Crow Flight.” Though trained as a bombardier-navigator, Thom flew exclusively as a navigator during combat missions.His service took him across the Pacific theater, with deployments that included the Marshall Islands, Okinawa, and the Makin Islands, among others. He flew aboard a B-25 Mitchell bomber nicknamed "Weezie, " and was in the air during the historic events surrounding the atomic bombings over Japan.For his service, Thom received multiple military decorations, including the Air Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.From his biography One of his favorite stories involved a memorable departure from the San Francisco Bay area. As his squadron prepared to leave, the pilots collectively agreed to attempt a bold fly-under of the Golden Gate Bridge. Thom’s pilot hesitated, but after some convincing from the crew, decided to go for it. As it turned out, the rest of the squadron flew over the bridge—and Thom’s plane was the only one to follow through and fly beneath it.
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