World War II Woman

B24 Counted Cross Stitch

Sitting next to me at the Reading World War II weekend was Dorothy Vyrne Lashinsky and her husband Frank of Cornwall PA. Dorothy’s beautiful counted cross stitch of a B24 attracted considerable attention. As people stopped to talk to her, they ended up spending a lot of time talking with Frank, also.

Frank was a tail gunner on a B24 and had many adventures. Dorothy had seen other planes on canvas but never a B24 until one day she spotted it in a catalog, purchased the pattern shortly after Christmas of 1992, bought the necessary thread, and completed it by Thanksgiving of the following year. It is quite large and nicely framed.

Frank was shot down on his 6th mission over Bosnia, and escaped capture when an American plane fished him up and took him to Italy. He was shot down again over Hungary and was taken prisoner of war March 12, 1945. He was kept in a 1/2 boxcar with 39 other prisoners and they drank water from the river using charcoal tablets to make the water safe. He lost 30 pounds. Walking, they arrived at Stalag7A on a Wednesday and were rescued when General Patton came through on Sunday, May 8, of that same year.

Frank came home to Syracuse on a 60-day furlough and was about to leave for Japan when the war ended.

For more on World War II, please to to www.peggeorge.com

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