Russo, Frank J.

Description

Frank J. Russo

Frank J. Russo was born on 12/15/1918 and he lived at 118 Maple Avenue in Rye, New York. (Street View) Rye was a small town with a population of 9,865. Frank’s mother Grace owned this home and it was valued at $1,600 ($30,400 in today’s dollars).

The members of the household included his brother Leonard and his three sisters Antoinette, Mary and Margaret. Frank’s mother was born in Italy and Frank and his siblings were all born in New York.
In 1940, at the age 21, Frank was a middle child and his mother was 51 and had an elementary education.

Frank was a Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1937 and the time the census worker recorded his occupation as a Caddy. All the family were parishioners of The Church of the Resurrection. Frank was a landscape gardener berfore he enlisted and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II

Frank entered service November 6, 1942 and served in the Eighth Airforce in England. The Eighth Army Air Force (8 AAF) was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force in the European Theater of World War II (1939/41–1945), engaging in operations primarily in the Northern Europe area of responsibility; carrying out strategic bombing of enemy targets in France, the Low Countries, and Germany; and engaging in air-to-air fighter combat against enemy aircraft until the German capitulation in May 1945. It was the largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft, and equipment.

Frank served as an armorer for P-51 Mustangs, whose job it was to keep the guns in perfect firing condition and also handle amunition and bombs.

The P-51 Mustang was a solution to the need for an effective bomber escort. It used a common, reliable engine and had internal space for a larger-than-average fuel load. With external fuel tanks, it could accompany the bombers from England to Germany and back

Frank was awarded the Army’s Good Conduct Medal in August 1944, the medal is awarded to any active duty enlisted member of the United States military who completes three consecutive years of “honorable and faithful service”. He would and would receive his honorable discharge a year later.

Frank J. Russo died July 21, 2004.