Urie H. Zook was born in Belleville, Pennsylvania, USA to an Amish family. Despite the Amish disposition on non-violence, Urie voluntarily enlisted for combat in the United States Army Air Force.
He became a ball turret gunner for a B-17 Flying Fortress and successfully completed his first tour of duty, despite statistics suggesting he would be lucky to complete a handful of missions.
He then re-enlisted for a second tour of duty before being shot down over Germany. Allegedly, Urie survived the crash of his B-17 only to be captured by the Nazis behind enemy lines. He died during a bombing by Allied forces while on a train with POWs, assumed to be heading toward a concentration camp.
Service
Units served with
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Group
The 398th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Nuthampstead, Hertfordshire on strategic bombing raids over Germany. The Group switched focus in the days before D-Day, when they targeted enemy positions on the Cherbourg peninsula. When the Allies...
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Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 9/12/45; Dow Fd 17/12/44; Assigned 600BS/398BG [N8-M] Nuthampstead 13/2/45; (4m) Missing in Action Wittenberg, Ger 22/2/45 with Hubert Beatty, Co-pilot: Jim Honaker, Navigator: Jim Luna (3 Killed in Action); Bombardier: Urie Zook,...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Belleville, Pennsylvania, USA |
19 October 1922 |
Urie H. Zook was born in Belleville, PA on October 19, 1922 to Amish parents.
|
Died |
Germany |
10 March 1945 |