PRINTER'S NO. 2879
No. 515 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY MOUL, BEYER, BOYD, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI,
CAUSER, COHEN, CONKLIN, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DALEY, DePASQUALE,
EVERETT, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GODSHALL, HARPER,
HARRIS, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, KULA, MAJOR, MANTZ,
MARKOSEK, MELIO, MILLARD, R. MILLER, MILNE, MOYER, MURT,
MUSTIO, PALLONE, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PYLE, RAPP,
REICHLEY, ROAE, ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO,
SCHRODER, K. SMITH, SONNEY, SWANGER, THOMAS, VEREB,
WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, NOVEMBER 21, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, NOVEMBER 21, 2007
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation to ensure that
2 the Congress of the United States pass H.R. 1585 with section
3 1055 to allow a memorial to be placed in Arlington National
4 Cemetery honoring the World War II servicemen who perished in
5 the Bakers Creek crash in Australia.
6 WHEREAS, United States Army Air Force B-17C-BO Flying
7 Fortress No. 40-2072, "Miss Every Morning Fix'n" of the 46th
8 Troop Carrier Squadron, 317th Troop Carrier Group, based in
9 Mackay, Australia, crashed at Bakers Creek near Mackay on June
10 14, 1943, killing 40 of the 41 service personnel on board,
11 including six Pennsylvanians; and
12 WHEREAS, The six Pennsylvania casualties were T/Sgt. Alfred
13 H. Frezza of Altoona; Pfc. James E. Finney of Erie; Sgt. Donald
14 B. Kyper of Huntingdon; Pfc. Frank S. Penksa of Moscow; Sgt.
15 Anthony Rudnick of Clifton Heights; and Cpl. Raymond H. Smith of
1 Oil City; and
2 WHEREAS, The troops aboard the bomber were being flown back
3 to New Guinea after enjoying some leave time in Australia; and
4 WHEREAS, The Bakers Creek crash was the worst accident
5 involving a transport plane in the southwest Pacific theater
6 during World War II; and
7 WHEREAS, The Bakers Creek crash was kept secret from the
8 public, even for many years after the war ended; and
9 WHEREAS, Section 1055 of H.R. 1585 relates the sense of the
10 Congress to honor the memory of the victims by placing a
11 memorial to them in Arlington National Cemetery; and
12 WHEREAS, H.R. 1585 is slated for debate in the United States
13 Senate in September 2007; therefore be it
14 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
15 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Pennsylvania
16 Congressional Delegation to ensure that the Congress pass H.R.
17 1585 with section 1055 to allow a memorial to be placed in
18 Arlington National Cemetery honoring the World War II servicemen
19 who perished in the Bakers Creek crash in Australia; and be it
20 further
21 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
22 each member of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation.
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