Gone West

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Edward C Punjak (1921 - 2007)

Born in Joliet, Illinois, raised in South Chicago, his passion for aviation started at an early age. Building and flying free flight models and riding his bike to airports throughout the south side. He and his friends would spend hours listening to the radio and talking about their hero’s in aviation, the Wright Brothers, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindberg, and the air racers of the day. As times got hard he ventured out west to Nevada to work in the CCC camps to help out back home. Then December 7th 1941 came and he knew he had to do something, so in August of 1942 he enlisted and it was off to California. After completing basic training he chose to go for his A&P ticket with a specialty in props. He received his training back home in Chicago. He formed up and shipped out with VMF 112 the Wolf Pack, MAG 25 1st Marine Air Wing to the Pacific. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was Honorably Discharged in February of 1946.

After returning home, the flying bug bit. He started lessons at Schumacher’s Flying Service at Harlem Airport in Oak Lawn, Illinois. In August of 1948 he soloed and got his ticket. He loved the Piper J-3 Cub, spoke about the joy of flying one, and often said “you have not lived until you’ve flown a Cub”. He worked for the CAA now the FAA, and for TWA at Chicago’s Midway Airport.

In 1950 he married the love of his life Geraldine, joined the Chicago Fire Department in 1954 retiring in 1988, he had two sons Tom and Ed. He passed his love of aviation on to them by building free flight models, taking them flying, and packing up his pickup truck with them and the neighborhood kids and taking them to air shows and model meets throughout the area, leaving us with great memories.

Here, near a mornings dew laced runway, where the roar of the radial engine brings a new day, where airplanes of a bygone era soar and mingle above, and where golden sunlight sets on wooden trussed hangars, could we find no better place for the repose of his memory.

He has gone West

Mom, Tom, Nancy, Shane, Nancy, Kylie, Danny, Eddie and Susie, Miss you very Much!

SEMPER FI AND TAIL WINDS PA

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For corrections or questions, please contact Lesley Poberezny
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