Sgt. Charles H. Hill, Lt. James S. Chumbris, and PFC Patrick M. FitzGibbon were declared missing and presumed dead when their plane, a Grumman Avenger, ran out of fuel and went down in the Pacific Ocean while returning from a mission during the Iwo Jima campaign.No trace of the plane or crew were ever found.Pat was the only son of Patrick and Sarah FitzGibbon, and brother of Kay FitzGibbon Bard.He was just 19 years old when he lost his life in the service of his country.His widowed mother was never at peace with his death, as she had given her consent to his enlistment at age 17, and always regretted her action. Patrick was awarded "The Purple Heart" and he is memorialized on the "Tablets of the Missing" at the Punchbowl Military Cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii, as are Chumbris and Hill.
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