From Beth Ciullo  daughter of John McCormick (WW-II prisoner in Romania) / September 27, 2012

I want to tell you a funny story. I was showing the documentary Knights of the Sky to the POWs and their families during the North Carolina reunion (Aug 2012). My favorite part of course is the photo of the POWs standing in front of the schoolhouse and I was waiting for that spot in the video. As we were watching, a veteran in the back yelled, "Hey, that's me!"  Bill Giambrone was featured as one of the veterans in the documentary. He was so cute -- asking if anyone wanted an autograph. Another family believes they saw their dad - a low level POW from 1943 - in one of the videos and they were equally as excited.  I love when those things happen!!!!

From Beth Ciullo  daughter of John McCormick (WW-II prisoner in Romania) to Eileen McHenry (Inocenti) / February 27, 2012

I sincerely appreciate your time in responding to my query of Dan Dimancescu regarding a donation the Association of Former Prisoners of War in Romania wish to make.  The veterans who make up this association long ago put into their Bylaws that upon the dissolution of the organization, all remaining proceeds would be donated to "St. Catherine's Cradle" in honor of their Princess Catherine Caradja. The last time the group made a donation to the orphanage was about 20 years ago, so they are not aware it is no longer functioning.

My father, John McCormick, is one of the former POWs in Romania and has been the Treasurer for the Association since the 70's when the group organized. The board approved a Resolution about 5-6 years ago adding me as an officer to the association in order to ensure their final request would be carried forth.  My father and I would very much like to learn more about your organization and meet with Mr. Carroll next time he is in Orlando.

The Association of Former POWs will have its next reunion the weekend of August 1 thru August 5, 2012 in New Bern, North Carolina. At that time, I will would like to present information to the veterans about alternative organizations to replace St. Catherine's Crib so they can amend their association documents. While I can't say for certain "when" the veterans will decide that too few of them are left to continue, I do believe that with the bequest we received from one of our members upon his passing, that there are sufficient funds to make the donation within the year.

I have included my contact information below for your information and I look forward to learning more about RCR.

Best regards,

From Beth Ciullo daughter of John McCormick (WW-II prisoner in Romania) to Dan Dimancescu / February 22, 2012

Dan - I love the photos of St. Katherine's!!  My Dad used to sit in the window-sill of his 2nd story classroom and watch the planes flying over. He can still draw out the room on paper with all the cots and list the officers in each cot; what position they were in the crew; and from what BG. (But he can't tell me what he ate for breakfast!)  :))  I know if I ever get the opportunity to visit the schoolhouse, I'll be able to feel the presence of those guys in the room!

This has been a great week and Dad starts off each day here at the office asking me if I learned anything new about Bucharest instead of asking if we have clients coming in. ! I'm planning to print the POW photo for all of my siblings, nieces/nephews and my children. We may even hang one up here in our law office!  :))  I will have to give my ex-husband (Bruce) credit for getting in touch with you -- he can use all the brownie points he can get!  I spent the evening searching my computer for all the information I had researched several years ago when I started "researching my Father's War" and realized that I have a very poor system of file management. But I did locate some information to share.


Continuted

I started researching around 2008 when my Dad made a remark to a client that as the pilot, he felt it was his responsibility to know where his crew was and that before he left this world, he needed to know what happened to all of them and where their final resting places were. The 5 that were POWs remained close after the war attending the POWs of Romania Reunions and he knew that 3 of the crew (Dow, Van Arkel & Thompson) were buried in a group grave at Arlington Cemetery with another airman from a later mission in April 1944. After years of searching American cemeteries throughout Europe, Dad finally found his navigator (Stagman) in a cemetery in Belgium. That left the bombardier (Ornstein) who he could never find and that had bothered him all these years. Thus began my quest!

Long story somewhat short ..... I did all sorts of Internet based research and posted something on the army air force forum that was answered by Dan Melinte. He sent me a map of the crash sites of the last 3 planes in the battle (McCormick, Kendall & Polink). I'm not sure how he knows these were the crash sites, but I trust he didn't pull it from thin air. Melinte also gave me a compiled listing of burial locations for the airmen and Ornstein's name was the only one of the 5 KIA listed so we know Ornstein was buried in Cimitir com Branceni. I eventually located Ornstein's grave in New York City through Syracuse University where Ornstein's uncles were prominent alumni. One of the uncles went to the cemetery and took a photo so I could show my Dad that Ornstein had been found. Thus the start of my fascination with Romania in WWII.  I subsequently located family members of the entire crew and provided details about the last days before the 4-4-44 battle.  So this is the extent of my knowledge about the Born to Lose crash in Bucharest.

Romanian WW-II researcher Dan Melinte's 2009 message:
Hi Beth, Mc Cormick 's  B-24  Sn 41-29258 crashed near Branceni village ( in Teleorman county today) on the land of Mrs. Paulina Vorvoreanu. Adolph Ornstein was found dead on the same land and was burried in Branceni cemetery. Below is the map with crash place coordinates and location of Branceni village.
http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/romania/map/m1700874/branceni.html
Subsequently, Dan said he learned "from one witness from Beiu village, a farmer named Gheorghe Abulumac saw a burned body in a village near Branceni called Tiganesti".  The Navigator Stagman was already burned badly when the bale out bell was rung and they pushed him out of the plane before the last of the crew jumped, so this could have been Stagman.  Dan also felt the captured airmen were first taken to Alexandria and then to Turnu Magurele in order to pick up the POWs of the Bontly crew (Reluctant Liz) which crashed at Islaz village near Turnu Magurele.  I've attached all the information I have to this email. Dad turns 90 in September and my new quest is to put together a "story book" of his life from the time he left the Steel Mills of Gary, Indiana through Bucharest and back to the US. The photos and information you have shared are again, sincerely appreciated more than you can imagine! As I showed Dad photos from the school, he even comes up with new stories that the photos have reminded him of that I've never heard. Great stuff!

AND .......... many thanks for the name of the organization who may be able to help us with the Romanian donation.  The Association received a bequest from an RAF guy who was in the schoolhouse with them and it's that money that will need to find a good home.  I'll make some contacts and then take the information with me to the POW Reunion this year to share with the others -- a fundraiser on top of the money we already have in our hands might also be a great idea!  I appreciate the lead for sure!

Thank you again for your thoughtfulness!

Beth

From Beth Ciullo daughter of John McCormick (WW-II prisoner in Romania) to Dan Dimancescu / February 21, 2012

We loved the documentary that you and your son Nicholas produced on the Romanian raids. Both my father and I send our deepest sympathies for the loss of your talented son. The documentary had such a great impact on our family - he certainly left his mark on us as I'm sure he did with many others!

My Dad was a pilot on the 1st 1944 raid to Bucharest (the "4-4-44" bombing of the marshalling yards at Gard de Nord). The 15th AF received their first Presidential Unit Citation for that mission. He was originally held in the Iron Guard Barracks until they opened up the camp at the schoolhouse .... and eventually they separated the officers from the enlisted men - the NCO's were marched to the maternity ward of the hospital where they stayed until they were rescued.

My Dad said most of the men in your photo were from his room as well as the room across from his on the 2nd floor of the schoolhouse. It's the only "known" photo of the POWs from the schoolhouse. The airman talking with the Romanian guards is John Chonka -- the only American who could speak Romanian. My Dad is assuming that since 1) they all are smiling; 2) they are posing OUTSIDE the schoolhouse; & 3) that the group were roommates, that the photo must have been taken relatively soon if not immediately after they were told of the impending rescue. Shortly afterward, the POWs were taken by truck outside of the city for their own safety (since the Germans were now bombing Bucharest) and somewhat hidden until they were trucked to the airfield to load the B-17s.

A friend of mine took a screen shot from the documentary and labeled the photo with the names of the men he recognizes and I have pasted it below for your reference, and attached a photo of Dad taken a year ago for a 68 year comparison. I will frame your photo to give to Dad on his 4-4-44 anniversary this year.

I can't thank you enough for sending the photo ........... it's stunning, absolutely stunning! My Dad is THRILLED to see the faces of his comrades from Bucharest!
U.S. Airmen Prisoners in WW-II (1943-1944) Emails 2011-2013