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The Muskegon Chronicle
Friday, 1 January 1943


         Pilot From Grant in Spectacular Crash
         Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross
         
         LT. VAN EEUWEN Sacrifices Life, Saves Civilians
         
         Lauded for Heroism at Mitchell Field,
         Chooses Forced Landing in Army Bomber
         
         One year ago today, Lt. CHARLES W. VAN EEUWEN,
       of Grant, piloting a bomber on a tactical opera-
       tion from Mitchell Field, N.Y., sacrificed his
       life rather than risk the lives of civilians in
       any attempt to save his crippled aircraft.
         On June 12, on order of PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT,
       the young officer was posthumously awarded the
       Distinguished Flying Cross, highest honor which
       can be conferred by the United States Army Air
       Forces. The ceremony took place in Grant before
       an assembly of 600 residents of the community.
       Fifty soldiers from Selfridge field were present
       to see Lt. CURRY ST. GEORGE, pin the medal on
       Lieut. VanEEUWEN'S father, WILLIAM R. VanEEUWEN.
       The officer's mother died in 1940.
         The citation with the medal, written by Secre-
       tary of War HENRY L. STIMSON lauded Lieutenant
       VanEEUWEN for his heroism.
         After taking off from Mitchell Field with a
       bomber carrying four 300-pound demolition bombs,
       one engine of the plane, missing on the take-off,
       failed completely and the ship could not main-
       tain altitude, the citation explained.
         "Second Lieutenant VanEEUWEN realized a forced
       landing was inevitable unless he dropped his
       bombs to lighten his load, but as he was flying
       over thickly populated residential areas he did
       not do this because of the damage he knew might
       result," it said, "Although he could have landed
       in a street or vacant lot, thereby risking the
       lives of civilians, he preferred to dive the
       plane into a gravel pit which he saw, thus sacri-
       ficing himself and crew in order to avoid killing
       or injuring numerous civilians. The courage and
       heroism displayed by Second Lieutenant VasEEUWEN
       in making the supreme sacrifice reflects great
       credit upon himself and the Army Air forces.
         Lieutenant VanEEUWEN was buried at Allendale.
         
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