DALLAS — The Friends of the Mary Kintz Bevevino Library Luncheon Speaker Series at Misericordia University will present “San Antonio Rose B-17 and the Fate of its Crew,” from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 8 at Apple Tree Terrace of Newberry Estates.
Marion Decker McCormick and Paula McCormick will make the presentation about the downing of the B-17 bomber by German fighter planes on Feb. 21, 1944 during World War II and the fate of its 10-man crew.
“They came to me with stories of seeing the B-17 bomber crash,’’ Marion McCormick said in a news release, referring to the recollections of several elderly residents of Zegveld, Netherlands where the San Antonio Rose was shot down.
The San Antonio Rose was returning to its air base in England after a bombing run over Brunswick, Germany, when it encountered Nazi fighter planes. The plane was shot down and crashed in wetlands near the town occupied by German forces. Two crew members survived the crash landing and captured the occupying forces.
McCormick and five members of her family represented her brother the late Lt. Delmar Decker and seven other crew members who died in the downing of the B-17 bomber, during the dedication of a memorial in the flight crew’s honor in October 2015 in the Netherlands.
The flags of both nations stood tall during the dedication, while a band played the national anthems of both countries.
The event costs $28 and includes lunch, desserts and refreshments, including Italian soda bar, flavored iced tea, unsweetened iced tea and soda, and a buffet featuring grilled garlic chicken, stuffed shells with vodka sauce, parmesan encrusted cod, green bean medley, and a mini salad station.
To make reservations, call Susan Lazur, administrative assistant, Bevevino Library, at 570-674-6225 or slazur@misericordia.edu.
