Henry Andrew “Hank” Skubik was born on May 13, 1923, in New York, New York County, New York. He was married to Katherine Skubik. He graduated from Lyndhurst High School and was employed at the Bendix plant before enlisting in the service in October 1942. He served in the 601st Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot in B-17G #43-37889 nicknamed ''Black Widow” during World War II.

On January 20, 1945, the B-17G “Black Widow” departed Nuthampstead, England, for a mission into the Rhine valley. The day’s target was the bridge between Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, an important industrial and transportation link across the Rhine. The aircraft was hit by heavy flak before reaching the target, but remained steady long enough to release its bombs. Afterward, the bomber caught fire, fell out of formation, and came under attack from a German fighter before crashing near Mechtersheim in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Out of the nine crew members, two were killed in action, while the other seven parachuted to safety but were captured and spent the rest of the war as prisoners.

2Lt Skubik was captured and imprisoned at Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan-Silesia, Bavaria. After being freed, he returned to duty and ended his military service as a Captain. After his retirement, Hank built a career with the FAA, retiring as Regional Director in 1978. He died on January 3, 2018, and is now buried in the Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, Suffolk County, New York, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.ig-heimatforschung.de, www.americanairmuseum.com