World War II Airman Leaves On "Final Mission" Into The Wild Blue Yonder

Thomas Edward Linzee, Sr., 89, of Marion, died Friday, January 6th, 2012 at the Bourne Manor Care Facility.

Mr. Linzee was born January 4, 1923 in Boston, the son of John William Linzee and Grace Hyacenth (Moore). He was the 3rd of four children including Mrs. Theadora Whittaker and his late brothers John William and Robert Bernard.

He leaves Elizabeth Yvonne (Howard) Linzee, his wife of 68 years, their four children: Thomas Jr. and his wife Roe of Fairhaven; Gail and her husband Frank Reitter of Natick; George and his wife Jean of Stony Brook, NY; and Carol Anne and her husband Stephen Chan of San Diego, CA. He also leaves six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A graduate of Brighton HS '40 and Cambridge Academy '41, Mr. Linzee attended Colby College until he enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 11, 1942. On October 23rd, 1943, He and Elizabeth Howard were married near his training base in Laredo, Texas. After rising to the rank of Tech Staff Sergeant and receiving his training as a radioman on a B-17 crew, he shipped over to Knettishall, England where he arrived on September 10, 1944 for over six months of combat duty with the 388th Bomber Group (H) of the 8th Air Force. During that time, he participated in 25 harrowing bomber missions over Europe many times as the lead radioman for his group.

On his last mission on December 24th, his B-17 "MY HONEY" was hit simultaneously over Germany by three anti-aircraft blasts, one of which struck directly below his radio room in the plane. Wounded and stunned, he still assisted in trying to put out fires and to radio critical target information back to headquarters while his pilot somehow turned the crippled plane around and headed them back to the front lines. After flying the burning aircraft for twenty minutes, the call for all to bail out was given when they had crossed into Belgium. As the last crewmember to bail out of the Flying Fortress, Sergeant Linzee felt the shock wave when the plane exploded a few seconds later. He and his crew landed in a frozen field in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge where they were fortunately picked up under enemy fire by an American armored vehicle. After surgery to remove shrapnel from his knee, he and his crew returned to England in another damaged B-17 that barely made it over the cliffs of Dover and collapsed after landing at an emergency air field. Back in America, it was reported that Linzee was "missing in action" until his wife Elizabeth eventually received a letter from him that he was still alive.

Airman Linzee was reunited with his wife when he returned to the United States in February 1945 when he met his first son, Thomas Jr., who had been born while he was overseas. For his combat service, he was awarded a Purple Heart, an Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters (one for every six missions), a caterpillar pin (for bailing out), and a "Lucky Bastards Club" certificate for completing 25 missions.

After four months treatment for post combat shock syndrome, Mr. Linzee returned to college in September 1945 and earned a BS in Business Administration from Boston University in August, 1948. In 1950, he moved his family to Long Island, NY where they settled down in the village of Port Jefferson after he had found employment as an insurance adjuster for General Motors. He then worked as a car salesman for a local dealership, as a research and development planner for Republic Aviation, a part-owner of the Smithtown Riding and Tennis Club, a construction superintendent's aide at SUNYStony Brook, and as a boat builder for Sumnercraft and Knutson's Boat Yard. He then spent 18 years as a legal aid interviewing and advising patients for the NY State Supreme Court's Mental Hygiene Legal Division from which he retired in 1990. Shortly before, his wife "Betty" retired after 27 years of service with Long Island Savings Bank as a Vice President and Port Jefferson branch manager. She also served for 15 years on the Port Jefferson Village Zoning Board of Appeals.

While living in Port Jefferson, Mr. Linzee served as Ward Captain and Chairman of the North Shore Republican Club and as an active member of the Port Jefferson Station Lion's Club. He and his wife enjoyed sailing in the Raven One-design fleet and their Pearson 30 cruising sloop and were members of the Setauket Yacht Club for 30 years.

A memorial service will be held at the Chapman, Cole, & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Highway (Rte. 28) in Wareham at 4 PM, Saturday, January 14th, 2012.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be sent to and made out to the 388th Bomb Group Association, Inc for its "Project Ultimate Sacrifice" (please footnote this on the check), care of Treasurer Tom Dennis Jr. at 5753G Santa Ana Canyon Road #438, Anaheim, CA 92807. The funds donated to this project will be applied to the costs of adding two stones to a memorial monument at the Knettishall site of the former air base in England that include the names of the 623 airmen of the 388th bomber group that gave their lives during WW II.