PEABODY — Sgt. Walter Dombrowski was on patrol over the Pacific Ocean during World War II when his B-17 ran out of fuel. While most on board would survive the plane crashing into the sea, Dombroski, a 28-year-old Peabody native, would never be seen again.
On Saturday, his family and local veterans dedicated a permanent marker of his service and sacrifice in front of his childhood home at 111 Central St. — 81 years after his final flight, and on the 40th anniversary of the Polish Legion of American Veterans Post 63 named in his honor.
“This street is home to some of our most vulnerable residents in the city: our seniors,” Peabody Veterans Agent Steve Patten said at the corner of Wilson Terrace and Central Street, now named in Dombrowski’s honor.
“He went down while on patrol. He’s still on patrol, he’s still watching over,” Patten said, pointing to the new black and bronze sign bearing Dombrowski’s name. “And he’s doing it right where his family lived. God bless, buddy.”
Dombrowski was one of the thousands of servicemembers to be declared missing in action during World War II.
He was born in Peabody in 1913 to Joseph and Anna (Sobocinski) Dobrowski and enlisted in the U.S. Air Corps in 1940. After serving stateside, he was transferred to the 360th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Heavy Bomber Group at Hickam Field, Hawaii, in 1942.
On June 15, 1942, Dombrowski and eight other crewmen boarded a B-17 at Hickam Field to patrol the Pacific, just days after the Battle of Midway and seven months after their plane and its pilot survived the Dec. 7, 1941, attacks on Pearl Harbor.
The crew eventually lost track of their position and, low on fuel, ditched the plane around 9 p.m. about 130 miles from their base.
Seven of the crewmembers were able to escape the plane as it went down and successfully deployed a life raft. But the top hatch failed to open for Dombrowski, serving as the plane’s radioman, and gunner Pvt. Walter Dutkiewicz of New Jersey.
The seven crew members would be found by the Navy and Army Air Force during a rescue mission and survive, but not Dutkiewicz and Dombrowski. They were declared dead that day and remain missing in action.
Their names are memorialized at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at the Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu.
“Not only did Sgt. Dombrowski give up his life, but he gave up his future and everything that would have come from that,” Patten said. “His children, their children. Little League games, spending time with family and friends and loved ones at the holidays: he gave up everything.”
Dombrowksi’s nephew, Walter Doblecki, was born in September 1942 and named in his honor. Despite never knowing his uncle, Doblecki has always felt a strong tie to him, he said at Post 63’s 40th anniversary luncheon ceremony at the Portuguese American War Vets post on Tremont Street ahead of Saturday’s dedication.
“Growing up, my Aunt Teresa always seemed to be exceptionally warm and friendly toward me,” Doblecki said. “Looking back, I think I reminded her of her brother Walter, and the joyful youth that she shared with Walter and my mother Wanda.”
Doblecki was joined by other nieces and nephews of Dombrowski Saturday, including Peabody Ward 4 City Councilor Julie Daigle, Dombrowski’s great-niece.
“Walter Dombrowski was the brother of my grandmother Teresa Rydzewski, so this is extra special, but either way I appreciate Walter (Blazewicz Jr.) recognizing our veterans and the people that have served in our community, in our culture,” Daigle said. “Thank you for continuing to keep that alive.”
Blazewicz started Post 63 in 1984 and is the current commander. Rydzewski was the first president of the post’s Ladies Auxiliary Chapter and a member until her death in 2012.
Blazewicz and his wife, Ann, were the main organizers behind Saturday’s events. They were joined by fellow members, other area veterans organizations and State Sen. Joan Lovely, State. Rep. Tom Walsh and Peabody City Council President Stephanie Peach.
It was a “great feeling” seeing a hall filled with veterans celebrating his post, Blazewicz said.
“I am proud of this post’s record of service to our community and nation, but the success of this post is not due to my organizational skills,” he said. “A successful post needs consistent hard work and diligent efforts by dedicated members to enable it to achieve success.”
That’s been the case for Post 63. Even so, its membership, and the number of veterans posts around the North Shore, is dwindling alongside the number of WWII, Korea and Vietnam vets still alive.
Robert Dunne, commander of the Peabody Veterans’ Council and senior vice commander of Post 63, said Saturday he hopes younger veterans of all types of service will step in to keep these groups afloat.
“These organizations are our advocates. They’re the ones who go to legislators and say, ‘Hey, we need more medical services, we need to have PTSD coverage,” he said.
“They’re more than just organizations people go to hangout and discuss what they did when they were in service.”