Raymond Helminiak

Military

Raymond Helminiak served as a pilot with the 563rd Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb Group, flying missions out of Knettishall, England. He was Wounded in Action (WIA) in February 1945 when, after flying his shell-damaged aircraft back to the UK, it crash landed. His injuries grounded Helminiak for the rest of the war.



He retired from the Air Force Reserves in 1972 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.



Helminiak was one of the founding members of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and its first financial contributor. He was also a writer for many publications including the Milwaukee Journal, the Milwaukee Sentinel, Wisconsin Trails Magazine, Exclusively Yours Magazine.



In 1951, he had married Marilyn Moevs. They were together for 66 years, until Raymond's death in September 2017.



Read Ray's full obituary here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jsonline/obituary.aspx?n=raymond-helmi…

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 388th Bomb Group.

388th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

42-97528

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Mary's Sister
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Milwaukee, WI, USA 21 January 1925

Died

Mequon, WI, USA 9 September 2017

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added an association to the A/C #42-97528 and to the pilot listed in the A/C description section.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Updated Highest Rank per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 183322697.
SOURCE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183322697/raymond-helminiak

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.388bg.info/Personnel.html

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jsonline/obituary.aspx?n=raymond-helmi…

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183322697/raymond-helminiak

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Combat Chronology / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia