Evening star., 1944-07-30
GobresE Missing, Home Town
Cancels Hero's Welcome
Ace Wanted to Bog
Another Plane Before
Return for Murriuoe
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
OIL CITY, Pa, July 29.-While
his hometown was planning a joy
Gus homecoming celebration for
him, 1t. Col. Francis S. Gabreski,
Americas top-scoring war pilot
credited with shooting down %
enemy planes, was reported miss
ing IN action over Germany today.
A brief message from the War
Department said the ace flyer has
been unreported since July 20.
AT 4 fighter base in Britain, Col.
Gabreski's mates said his plane had
been shot down, but there was no
indication where.
The news came as a great shock
to his parents and to friends and
neighbors in this northwest Penn
sylvania oil town, which was in the
midst of its preparations to give
Col. Gabreski a fitting welcome
when he returned home on a leave
Of absence He had been expected
early in August"
Fiancee Prays for Safety.
At Prairie du Chen, Wis, lovely
20-year-old Kay Cochran, who was
to have married Col. Gabreski on
his return home, left her packed
luggage and her wedding plans and
knelt in st. Johns Church to pray
for the safety of her fiance.
The grief-stricken girl said quietly
to her friends:
There is nothing can DO but
pray for him."
For the flyers parents. Mr.. and
Mrs. Stanley Gabryszewski (who re-
tain the Polish spelling of the sur
name), the word that the ace was
missing was bitter news, coming
only a couple Of days after they
had received joyful tidings that
their native city of Lublin, Poland.
had been liberated by the Rus
slams.
The only word received by the
Gabryszewskis was a War Depart
ment telegram informing them that
their son was missing. Later in
the day, however, the 9th Air Force
Fighter Command confirmed the
message but. for security reasons.
refused to disclose details of the
Thunderbolt pilots last mission.
Studied At Notre Dame.
Col. Gabreski, known as "Gabby"
by his friends, left a premedical
course at Notre Dame University to
enter the air force in 1910. For a
time he was stationed in Hawaii,
where he first met Miss Cochran.
In October, 1912, he was transferred
to the European theater and for a
time few with the Polish Raj
Squadron.
He shot down his first Nazi plane
August "a, l943 Thereafter, Ga
breski kills" became frequent and
altogether he is credited with 81
German planes-28 shot down in
the air. three destroyed on the
ground.
He has won 16 decorations includ-
ing the Polish Cross of Valor, the
American Distinguished Service
Cross, the Distinguished Flying
Cross with seven clusters, the Air
Medal with four clusters and the
Silver Star.
When news arrived here that Col.
Gabreski was to come home some
time in August" on a 30-day leave.
citizens started their arrangements
for the welcome. Streets were to
be decked with flags and bunting
and life-sized portraits of Gabby
were to be displayed in prominent
places. Banquets, parades and other
functions were planned to honor
him.
The 9th Fighter Command said
Col. GabreSki was scheduled to come
home August l. He had volunteered
for extra duty after his 28th kill
on July in order to insure his
record.
Led by Only One Plane.
Gabby's bag of % planes was one
ahead of Maj. Robert S. johnson
OF Lawton, Okla, in the European
theater, and of Maj. Richard l..
Bong of Poplar, Wis, leading ace
in the Pacific. but seven behind the
RATS top scorer, Wing Comdr. J..
E. johnson, Englishman command
ing a Canadian Spitfire squadron.
Col. Gabreskis parents operate a
grocery here with the help of a
Synthetics WAS inducted In the Navy