Obituaries

RIP "Babe" Heffron

To the end, Edward James "Babe" Heffron insisted that he wasn't a hero, that his service in World War II was simply part of an obligation to serve his country in a time of need.

But when fame followed him in the wake of Stephen Ambrose's book "Band of Brothers" and its HBO miniseries, Heffron, who died Sunday at the age of 90 after a short battle with colon cancer, used it to praise the sacrifices made by countless men and women during America's most trying times.

"He felt the heroes were the moms who sent their kids off and the guys who never came back."

- Ed Zavrel, Heffron's son-in-law

"He felt the heroes were the moms who sent their kids off and the guys who never came back," Ed Zavrel, Heffron's son-in-law, told FoxNews.com Tuesday night. "Babe didn't consider himself a hero, just a guy who did his job."

As a paratrooper in Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Private Heffron joined Easy Company shortly after the Normandy invasion and participated in some of the war's fiercest battles, including the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

After the war, Heffron returned to south Philadelphia, his hometown, where he found work at a whiskey distillery and later checked cargo on the Delaware River waterfront.

Like many veterans of his era, Heffron never spoke about the war, and if it wasn't for Ambrose's book, his family might never have learned about his service.

But after the book -- which documents Easy Company's harrowing engagements and prominently features several soldiers, including Heffron -- was published in 1992, and especially after the miniseries aired in 2001, Heffron became something of an icon for a generation that went to war. He was featured in interviews for the miniseries (in which he was portrayed by Scottish actor Robin Laing) and participated in a 2008 USO tour to the Middle East.

Along with one of his comrades, William "Wild Bill" Guarnere, and journalist Robyn Post, Heffron also wrote a 2007 memoir called "Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends."

Walking around Philadelphia in his airborne jacket and hat, Heffron would often be stopped by people thanking him for his service, Zavrel said. Heffron made regular appearances at local schools, where he would spend hours with children telling stories about the war and general "life lessons," Zavrel added.

As news of Heffron's passing spread early this week, many paused to offer their condolences.

Actor Tom Hanks, who co-executive produced the miniseries, posted a photo of the 101st Airborne's "Screaming Eagle" patch on his WhoSay account.

"In honor and memory of Babe Heffron and Earl McClung," said Hanks, the latter a sergeant who served alongside Heffron in Easy Company who passed away last month. "Farewell, Brothers. Hanx."

Heffron is survived by his wife, Dolores Heffron, and their daughter, Patricia Zavrel. Funeral arrangements will be private, and some of Heffron's former comrades were expected to attend.

The family is "holding up as well as can be expected," an emotional Ed Zavrel said. But in following Heffron's example, they're intent on making sure "Babe" is properly honored.

"Babe didn't want any fanfare," Zavrel said. "He was never one for tears. He said you got to do what you got to do."

Mira Slovak passed away yesterday at the age of 84, at his home in Fallbrook California.


Mira Slovak - "The Flying Czech"

WINNIPEG – The Department of National Defence has identified the remains of Second World War airman, Flight Sergeant John Joseph Carey.

Flight Sergeant Carey was the front air gunner for the Royal Air Force bomber Halifax BB214. The aircraft was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft over Laacher See, south of Bonn Germany, on August 28th, 1942.


A team of German explosives disposal divers discovered the remains in 2008, while trying to assess the stability of the aircraft, but they could not be analyzed until a genetic donor was found in 2013.

"The identification of the remains of Flight Sergeant Carey demonstrates to his family, and to all of us, that the ultimate sacrifice he made in the name of his country will not be forgotten," said Minister of National Defence, Rob Nicholson. " Our Canadian airman will finally be laid to rest with the military honour he so rightfully deserves."

Flight Sergeant Carey was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on February 4, 1920. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force on May 31, 1940 in Ottawa, Ontario, and was a member of 103 Squadron.

He was 22 years of age at the time of his death.

Sgt William G Gausden MBE BEM, Air Gunner, RAF has joined his Sq 34 Flying Mates in higher service....

Bill started his uniformed career in 1940 when he volunteered as an ATC cadet to help man the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches operating from his home town of Dover, Kent. He was involved in the rescue of a number of downed RAF Aircrews during his service. Bill was also a part-time air raid warden and saw firsthand a lot of the devastation caused by German bombing and long-range shelling of the Kent coast throughout the early stages of the war. In August 1943 Bill was called up and he volunteered for RAF Aircrew selection at the tender age of 18 (and 3 days). His application was successful and he underwent aircrew training, qualifying as an Air Gunner in July 1944. In the last year of the war Bill flew 42 operational sorties with 34 SAAF and 70 Sqn RAF flying from Southern Italy over Yugoslavia and Poland in Liberator bombers. Due to his relatively diminutive stature (5'6") he spent most of the war facing backwards in the tail turret. His flying career included a number of particularly dangerous missions dropping arms to the partisans over the besieged city of Warsaw and he was a proud member of the "Warsaw 44" club (subsequently commemorated by the award of a Polish Home Army Cross by the Polish President in 1994). In May 1945, rather than face demob, Bill volunteered to join the RAF Police and served as a dog handler in Italy until he had completed all the RAFP qualifications required to retain his Sgts Stripes. From 1946 to 1979 Bill served in a number of RAFP roles and amassed various "Qs" including QPD, QPSI, HODT and QPCI, rising to the rank of Warrant Officer. His claims to fame included being a founding member of the RAFP PM4a low-flying complaints unit in the early 60s and providing support for the TSR2 project, WOSy at 26 SUGatow in the late 60s and CI duties as WOCPSyO (NEAF) in Cyprus during the Cyprus war in 1973/4. In all he served for 36 years earning a LSGCM and bar and numerous operational theatre medals and commendations as well as his BEM and MBE. When asked why he chose the RAF Police after his aircrew service he always said: "I chose RAF Police because it appeared to be one of the few trades which had an operational role in peacetime. Also its members tended to perform their duties in relative isolation, making on the spot decisions and being responsible for their own actions. This was similar in some respects to that of members of a bomber-crew of which I was familiar".
Bill met and married his wife Theresa (Tess) in Malta in 1950 whilst serving with the RAF Police at Takali and they remained happily married until her sudden passing in 2002. Bill died peacefully in a retirement home in Herefordshire at 05:15 on Thursday 5th June 2014 after suffering a stroke earlier in the year. Bill was always a proud member of the RAF first and then took equal pride in both his aircrew and RAF Police careers. He was not a member of the RAF Police Association but was always ready to help his former colleagues or his country whenever asked to do so.

NOICE, Ronald Charles (Q.S.M. WWII, RAF 405 Pathfinder Squadron, F.O. 429800). - Passed away peacefully at Atawhai Assisi on 13th July, 2014; aged 90 years. Dearly beloved husband of Pearl for 65 years. Loved and loving father and father-in-law of Jackie and Laurie, Greg and Margaret, Christine and Brian. Much loved Pappy of Stephen, Joanne, Melanie, Carolyn, Kathryn, and their partners. Loved Grand Pappy to all his great-grandchildren.
"Have a great flight on your final journey."
Ron was a Navigator/Bomb Aimer on Pathfinder Lancasters with No. 405 Squadron RCAF (he was a kiwi though). It was Ron who was the first to drop flare markers on the target that would become the very controversial Dresden raid.

He and his crew were shot down by an upward firing German nightfighter on their 30th op, and all but one became POW's (the other was murdered after landing in his chute by German locals).

After the war Ron ran the New Zealand Prisoner Of War Association both as Secretary and President for many decades.

He also starred in the Maori Television documentary "Night After Night", and for some years was a committee member of the Cambridge Returned and Services Association.

Theodore VanKirk, last survivor of Enola Gay crew, dies

Theodore VanKirk, also known as "Dutch," died Monday, July 28, 2014 of natural causes at the retirement home where he lived in Stone Mountain, Georgia, his son Tom VanKirk said. He was 93.
VanKirk was the navigator of the Enola Gay, a B-29 Superfortress aircraft that dropped "Little Boy" - the world's first atomic bomb - over the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. The bomb killed 140,000 in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki three days later. VanKirk was 24 years old at the time. Tom VanKirk said he and his siblings are very fortunate to have had such a wonderful father who remained active until the end of his life.
"I know he was recognized as a war hero, but we just knew him as a great father," he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.
In a 2005 interview with the AP, VanKirk said his World War II experience showed that wars and atomic bombs don't settle anything, and he'd like to see the weapons abolished.
A funeral service was scheduled for VanKirk on Aug. 5 in his hometown of Northumberland, Pennsylvania. He will be buried in Northumberland next to his wife, who died in 1975.

source: Theodore VanKirk, last survivor of Enola Gay crew, dies - CBS News