Karpowicz Fly Over 20210806 v2

Airman First Class Karpowicz was the tail gunner of a B-26C Invader bomber with the 13th Bomber Squadron, 3rd Bomber Group at Kunsan Air Force Base (K-8), South Korea.
Born in Milwaukee, WIsconsin on August 28, 1931, He lived in Crivitz, Wisconsin, and graduated from High School in Crivitz in 1950.
In the evening of May 17, 1953, his B-26C Invader (tail number 44-35882) departed Kunsan Air Base with a crew of four aviators. The briefed mission was a night interdiction operation targeting the main supply routes known as Red 3, 5 and 6. The flight plan would cover routes from Pyongyang to Chaeryong, to Sinwon-ni, to Pyongsa, to Hungsu-ri, to Kaesong. Approximately one hour before midnight, the Invader was diverted to north of Sinmak, targeting several enemy trucks in the area. Once in target area, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft artillery in the right engine. The pilot jettisoned the bomb load as smoke filled the cockpit. After seeing that the engine burn off and the wing was STARTING to bend from the heat, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out. As the pilot and navigator descended, they observed the aircraft crash and burst into flames. On May 18, the pilot and the navigator were rescued, but all efforts to locate the gunner and the bombardier were unsuccessful. Following their rescue, the pilot and navigator stated that they did not see any signs of the two missing men.
HIS FLY OVER and MEMORIAL SERVICE WAS at Arlington National Cemetery ON August 6, 2021 with full military honors.
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