In Memory And Commemoration
Zur Erinnerung Und Zum Gedenken
In memory and commemoration of the U.S. Army Air Force crewmembers
who were murdered in this courtyard on February 17 1945 after their capture.
Charles Bernard Goldstein
Technical Sergeant und Radio Operator
"May 8, 1915 in New York/USA, 29 years
Warren George Hammond
Technical Sergeant und Top Turret Gunner
31. Mai 1925 in Rhode Island/USA, 19 Jahre
Joseph Eugene Prokop
Staff Sergeant and Waist Gunner
21 Oktober 1922 in Scranton/USA, 22 Jahre
Started by the Nazi regime in 1939, World War claimed 80 million lives. By 1942,
"all-out war" had also reached Hanau in the form of allied air raids.
On 17 February 1945 the four-engine Flying Fortress B-17G #44-8437 of the
563rd Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group of the U.S. Army Air Force was hit
by anti-aircraft fire while leaving Frankfurt airspace and crashed at 12.20 a.m.
diagonally opposite the Hanau Draft Academy (Zeichenakademie). Seven crew members
were killed
At 12.28 a.m. a second Flying Fortress, the B-17G #43-38623 of the 561st
this page online
388th Bomber Group, crashed and burned in the Ehrichstraße/Hafen area.
Nine crew members died.
Four crew members managed to parachute from the two aircraft before they crashed
Rear gunner S/Sgt. William A. Pitts landed between Offenbach and Mühlheim. He was
captured by the German army, become a prisoner of war and was the only one to
survive the war.
The U.S. airmen T/Sgt Charles Bernard Goldstein, Sgt Warren George Hammond and
S/Sgt Joseph Eugene Prokon were picked up by security police after their parachute
landing in Hanau and transferred to the Secret State Police (Gestapo) in this building.
After establishing Goldstein's religious affiliation, Hanau's police director Hermann
Fehrle ordered the execution of the three U.S. airmen who were subsequently killed
by single shots to their heads.
[Dedicated]
Hanau, 17 February 2020
Magistrate of the City of Hanau
State of Hesse
U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt
—————————————————————————————
17. Februar 1945 nach ihrer Gefangennahme in diesem Hof ermordet wurden.
Charles Bernard Goldstein
Technical Sergeant und Radio Operator
*8 Mai 1915 in New York/USA, 29 Jahre
Warren George Hammond
Technical
31. Mai 1925 in Rhode Island/USA, 19 Jahre
Joseph Eugene Prokop
Staff Sergeant and Waist Gunner
21 Oktober 1922 in Scranton/USA, 22 Jahre
Der vom NS-Regime 1939 begonnene Zweite Weltkrieg forderte 80 Millionen Menschenleben.
Ab 1942 traf der,totale Krieg" mit den allierten Luftangriffen auch Hanau.
Am 17. Februar 1945 wurde die viermotorige Flying Fortress/Fliegende Festung
B-17G #44-8437 der 563rd Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group der US Army Air
Force beim Verlassen des Frankfurter Luftraumes von der Flak getroffen und
stürzte um 12.20 Uhr schräg gegenüber der Hanauer Zeichenakademie ab. Dabei
kamen sieben Besatzungsmitglieder um.
Um 12.28 Uhr stürzte eine zweite Fliegende Festung, die B-17G #43-38623 der
561st Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, brennend in der Ehrichstraße/
Hafengebiet ab. Dabei starben neun Besatzungsmitglieder.
Zuvor gelang es vier Besatzungsmitgliedern aus beiden Maschinen mit dem
Fallschirm abzuspringen. Der Heckschütze S/Sgt. William A. Pitts landete
zwischen Offenbach und Mühlheim. Er geriet in deutsche Kriegsgefangenschaft
und hat den Krieg als einziger überlebt.
Die US-Flieger Charles Bernard Goldstein, Warren George Hammond und
Joseph Eugene Prokop wurden nach ihrer Fallschirmlandung in
Schutzpolizei aufgegriffen und der Geheimen Staatspolizei in diesem Gebäude
überstellt. Der Hanauer Polizeidirektor Hermann Fehrle veranlasste nach
Feststellung der religiösen Zugehörigkeit Goldsteins die Erschießung der
drei amerikanischen Soldaten durch Kopfschüsse.
[Gewidmet]
Hanau, 17 Februar 2020 Magistrat der Stadt Hanau Land Hessen US-Generalkonsulat Frankfurt
Erected 2022 by Lackawanna County.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is February 17, 1945.
Location. 41° 24.49′ N, 75° 39.751′ W. Marker is in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in Lackawanna County. Memorial is on Washington Avenue south of Linden Street, on the left when traveling south. Monument is in the Lackawanna County Veterans Plaza, on the courthouse grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 North Washington Avenue, Scranton PA 18503, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Vietnam War Memorial (here, next to this marker); Pearl Harbor Memorial (here, next to this marker); Medal of Honor (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Medal of Honor (within shouting distance of this marker); Piazza dell' Arte
More about this marker. The marker is identical to the one dedicated in Hanau, Germany, in 2020.
Regarding In Memory And Commemoration.
WWII airman honored anew on 75th anniversary of death
BY DAVID SINGLETON, Staff Writer, The Times-Tribune Feb 18, 2020
SCRANTON — On a day when ceremonies on two continents remembered the sacrifice of World War II airman Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Prokop, many of the words spoken carried a strong undercurrent of reconciliation. More than 100 people marked the 75th anniversary of the Scranton aviator's death Monday during a solemn graveside service at Cathedral Cemetery as officials in Germany simultaneously dedicated a memorial plaque honoring him and two other U.S. airmen who were murdered by the Gestapo.
"On that dark day on Feb. 17, 1945, hatred and inhumanity showed
Hanau officials decided to honor the three airmen as part of an exhibition marking the end of World War II and reached out to the U.S. State Department for help in locating any next of kin. Spearmint finally learned the story behind her brother's death last month after she was contacted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 25 in North Scranton, whose assistance the State Department sought to find Prokop's family.
At Cathedral Cemetery, where Prokop was buried after his remains were repatriated from a cemetery in France in 1949, a large black and white portrait of the smiling airman stood on an easel over his grave. Addressing a crowd that included many veterans, along with several federal, state and local officials, Resing expressed his condolences to Spearmint and other
Germany recognizes the historical and moral responsibility it bears for both World War II and the Holocaust, and for the suffering that continues to afflict the families and the descendants of the victims, he said. "The war ends when the arms fall silent, but its impact is a legacy that lasts generations," Resing said. That is why it is important for Germans to engage in joint acts of remembrance and commemoration, as Hanau is doing, he said. That nations that were enemies are now good friends shows the "living miracle of reconciliation." He called on those who want to honor the memories of the victims to reject anti-Semitism, racism and nationalist zeal and protect democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. "We must not forget and never again," Resing said.
David Eisele, director of the Lackawanna County Department of Veterans Affairs, read a letter on behalf of Claus Kaminsky, Hanau lord mayor, who said the fate of Prokop and the other two airmen is now known after decades of uncertainty. "We want to use this opportunity to honor their memory and sacrifice and hope that these events mark the beginning of a growing amicable relationship
On behalf of the German government, Resing and his wife placed a wreath at Prokop's grave, and members of the VFW added a second one. An honor guard offered a gun salute in honor of Prokop and his crewmates.Taps was not played. Post 25 Commander James Kuchwara explained to the crowd that was at the request of his sister, who remembered it being played when her brother was buried in 1949. "Throughout this, she asked me one thing. She said, ‘Don't play taps,' "he said. Spearmint, 91, did not speak at the memorial service but said afterward it was a little overwhelming. Since learning the details of her brother's death, she has felt "as if I will wake up and it was a dream." But she bears no grudges, she said. "You can't blame the German people. They were just like us. You go to war and you follow the leader," Spearmint said. Spearmint provided a statement to the State Department that was read at the Hanau event, where researchers presented their findings about airmen's deaths to the media before the unveiling of the plaque and a wreath-laying in the courtyard where they were killed.
In the statement, which was read by Michael Fitzgerald of the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt, Spearmint thanked the researchers for making her brother's story known and the people of Hanau and the German government for honoring him and the other Americans. "I prayed every day for my brother Joseph," she said. "Now that I know the truth, I can take it with me when it's my time." Eisele will travel to Germany to represent Spearmint at the opening of the Hanau exhibition, "Life in War," in early March.
Additional keywords. In Memory And Commemoration
Credits. This page was last revised on March 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 23, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 86 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 23, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
