Charles L. Fitzpatrick

Charles Leonard Fitzpatrick, age 92, was called home on July 7, 2013 to be with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He was the dear husband of 69 ½ years to Betty Moore Fitzpatrick. He was a graduate of Forest Park High School and entered the navy V-5 Aviation Program. He graduated from Corpus Christ Naval Air Station earning his wings of gold as a Naval Aviator and was stationed on Attu Island in the Aleutians with Fleet Air Wing 4, VPB Navy Patrol Bomber Squadron 136. This was a secret mission to bomb Japan. Often called “The Forgotten War”. Attu had just been taken back from the occupied Japanese forces with the second bloodiest battle of WW2. The enemy was planning to continue down the USA. The Aleutian Islands are a very unforgiving and harsh area. Over 4,000 Americans gave their lives to recapture these occupied Aleutians Islands. The navy bombers flew at that time the longest over water flight of the war, nearly 800 miles to bomb Paramushiro Japan and back 800 miles. If the planes could make it over the Bering Sea and the Japanese fighter pilots didn’t shoot them down or the weather prevented them. Some planes did not; some went to Kamchatka, Russia and were interned there. The PBS special on “The Last Flight of Bomber 31” told of one plane that went to Russian and the Russians knew about it in 1944 but never told the USA about it until 1996. His plane was a PV-1 Vega Ventura twin engine navy bomber. Returning home from his tour of duty the plane encountered mechanical / radio problems and they were forced to ditch off the island of Kodiak at 9:30pm, March 17, 1945. With the help of some native Aleuts the missionary who saw the landing lights of the plane sink beneath the waves were able to rescue the entire crew. There was only one-four man life raft on board, he was laid across their sinking legs and as waves washed over him they banged his back to keep him from drowning. The copilot had begun swimming to shore. Fortunately the Dory found him thus the 7 were rescued. He remained in the Navy Reserves flying out of Norfolk and Baltimore until 1962. He was with Baltimore County Government as a Deputy Zoning Commissioner while attending University of Baltimore Law School. Later he became Manager of the U.S. Postal Service Real Estate Buildings and Facilities overseeing several states with more than 3,000 Post Offices. After retiring he wrote and published a lengthy family history, biography including his war time experiences, now in the Library of Congress. He received the American Theater Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon, WW2 Victory Medal and Commendation from the State of Alaska. A portion of this book with his war time experience in the Aleutians was requested by several museums and libraries and the U.S. National Park Service in Anchorage, Alaska. He was given a website for this war time experience, http://vpnavy.org/fitzpatrick.html. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Andrew, daughters, Corrie March and Ann Doggett, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Tax Deductible Gifts may be made to: Kodiak Baptist Mission, 1944 Rezonof East, Kodiak, Alaska 99615 and condolences may be made to www.sterlingashtonschwabwitzke.com

Arrangements entrusted to the Sterling Ashton Schwab Witzke Funeral Home of Catonsville, Inc.