Talk:Thomas Fitzpatrick (pilot)

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World War 2 and reliability of death notice[edit]

The article and the source say he was a combattant in WW2. What surprises me is, that at the end of WW2 he was only 15 years old. Were there child soldiers in the US Marine in WW2 or is there a mistake somewhere in here? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mercatorix007 (talk • contribs) 22:07, 1 August 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I got the same question : He was 15 years old in 1945, how is it possible he was a soldier then? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.135.216.62 (talk) 20:04, 12 November 2019 (UTC)[reply]

  • The points above are correct, and we don't even know if the death notice is for the right person. He had a common name. He may not even be dead. We have a problem here. Figureofnine (talk • contribs) 19:08, 29 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • I've tagged the article due to the unreliability of the death notice and the fact that it might not even be about the Thomas Fitzpatrick who landed the plane on the street. Figureofnine (talk • contribs) 12:17, 30 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
He lied about his age [1]. Valoem talk contrib 22:39, 30 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • Valoem (talk · contribs), with high likelihood, the Thomas Fitzpatrick discussed in this obituary is the same Thomas Fitzpatrick who landed the plane on the street and fought in World War II.

    Here are two sources I found:

  • Silberfarb, Edward. (1956-10-01). "Pilot Detained In $5,000 Bail: Emerson Man Held On Four Charges After Landing Plane on New York Street" (pages 1 and 2). The Record. Archived from the original (pages 1 and 2) on 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2020-05-30. – via Newspapers.com.

    The article says "Thomas Fitzpatrick of 15 Dogwood Lane" is a "26-year-old pilot" of the plane mentioned in the article. The article notes:

    Performing the unusual is not new to Fitzpatrick, however. According to his brother, Frank, he joined the U. S. Marine Corps at the age of 15, and was stationed in China at the close of World War II. Before he was discharged two years later he had learned to fly a reconnaissance plane.

    After service with the Marines he joined the Army and was sent to Japan. A New York City resident at the time, he was scheduled to return home when the Korean emergency began. Within a week, he became the first person from New York City to be wounded in Korea. According to one report, he was wounded while driving an ammunition truck to rescue some American soldiers trapped by Communist fire.

    He allegedly obtained his civilian pilot's license through the Teterboro School of Aeronautics, owner of the craft he allegedly stole. Donald Hulse of 165 Kaywin Road, Paramus, signed the larceny complaint. The airplane, which was dismantled by police after the landing, is a Cessna 140.

  • "Quiz Carlstadt Pilot In NYC Street Landing: Fitzpatrick Shows Up at Headquarters; Had Laneded Craft in Area Two Years Ago". Herald News. Associated Press. 1958-10-04. Archived from the original on 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2020-05-30 – via Newspapers.com.

    The article notes:

    Police immediately thought of a Carlstadt, N. J., man who made a similar landing two years ago within a few blocks of the same spot. Thomas Fitzpatrick, 442 Jefferson Street, appeared at a police station for questioning here this morning but there was no immediate report from officers.

    ...

    Authorities said they wanted to question Fitzpatrick, now 28, who on September 30, 1956, "borrowed" a small plane from Hulse's school at Teterboro and landed it safely on St. Nicholas Avenue at 191st Street, Manhattan

    The article notes that Fitzpatrick had previously resided in Emerson, New Jersey, but moved to Carlstadt in June after he got married. The article notes he is a mechanic working for Curtiss Wright Corporation at Caldwell, Fitzpatrick. It notes he resides with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fitzpatrick. He has an older brother and an older sister. The article calls him an "ex-Army heavyweight boxing champion". The article further notes:

    He joined an Army boxing team after recuperating from his Korean wounds. During his convalescence he lost and later regained 70 of his 220 pounds. Prior to his Army discharge in 1951 he was assigned as a military policeman patrolling the Times Square Area in New York City.

The obituary says Thomas E. Fitzpatrick died at age 79 on September 14, 2009. This means he was born in 1929 or 1930. The Record said in 1956 that Fitzpatrick is a "26-year-old pilot" which means he was born in 1929 or 1930.
The obituary says Fitzpatrick was "[b]eloved husband for 51 years to Helen (Fratinardo) Fitzpatrick". This means they got married in 1957 or 1958. The 1958 article in the Associated Press says Fitzpatrick got married around June 1958.
The obituary says Fitzpatrick "served in the US Marine Corps in the Asian Theater during WWII after his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps he joined the US Army and served during the Korean War where he received the Purple Heart". The Associated Press said he served in the U. S. Marine Corp at age 15 where he was based in China near the end of World War II. The article also notes that he then served in the Marines and became "the first perosn in New York City to be wounded in Korea".
Cunard (talk) 23:42, 30 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
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