RECEIVES PROMOTION, PURPLE HEART
Ivan S. Hasek, son of Dr. and Mrs. Ivan S. Hasek, 23 Blackstone avenue, was recently promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and was awarded the purple heart “for wounds received in combat against the enemy.” Lt. Hasek has flown over 60 sorties and was injured while strafing an airfield near Frankfort, Germany. A piece of shrapnel entered his canopy cutting him in the neck. He flew his P-47 back to his base and landed safely. He is a graduate of Central high school and before entering service was an art student at the University of Nebraska. He is a member of the “Pioneer” fighter-bomber group of the 19th tactical air command and has been overseas for six months.
Source; The Sioux City Journal, January 18, 1945 (photo included)
LT. HASEK GETS HALF CREDIT FOR ANOTHER NAZI PLANE
First Lt. Ivan S. Hasek, son of Dr. and Mrs. I. S. Hasek, 23 Blackstone avenue, has received half of the credit for shooting down another Nazi plane in air fighting on the continent of Europe, according to word received here from the public relations office of a fighter base in France. He already had credit for destroying a Junker 88.
Low on gasoline and ammunition, Lt. Hasek and three other P-47 Thunderbolt pilots were returning from an armed reconnaissance mission on which they had dive bombed and strafed German troops and vehicles attempting to crack Third army positions. Below them they sighted enemy planes.
“My flight leader and I tagged into one of them,” related the former Central high school graduate. “He got a couple of hits in and overshot. I took over and clobbered the Focke Wolfe 190. The Jerry bellied on. His plane overturned and exploded. By this time, we were down to flying on gas fumes so we headed for home.”
Lt. Hasek is a member of the famed Pioneer fighter-bomber group of the Ninth air force.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, January 30, 1945
