Rome, NY WWII Fallen

2Lt. Arthur E. Edick

#12024751

USAAF 4th Air Force, 348th Night Fighter Squadron,

481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group

Arthur Elmer Edick was born March 6, 1918, in Rome, Oneida County, New York, to John B. (1892-1974) and Pearl R. Gould (1897-1938) Edick. John and Pearl were married in 1914 in Rome, New York. Mr. Edick drove a team along the Erie Canal at one time. He also worked at Revere Copper and Brass, as a laborer for a construction company, as a carpenter at Griffiss Air Force Base, and was a teamster for Robert J. Darrow Trucking Company.

Arthur was the third of nine children born to the Edicks. His siblings were John Howard (1914-1992), Mary Young (1916-2009), Gladys Reese (1920-2012), Daniel Raymond (1922-1978), Iona Magliocca (1924-2014), Robert E (1928-2004), Wilma Walters (1930-2004), and Thomas William (1933-1934).

Arthur attended the Thomas Street School and graduated from Rome Free Academy in 1937. During his school years, he was on the honor roll and earned honors in algebra, mechanical drawing, English, science, and civics. He was a member of the Boy Scouts.

Arthur registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, at DeWitt Clinton School in Rome, New York. He was 5’6” tall, 140 pounds, and had brown hair and eyes. His address was 729 West Dominick Street, Rome, New York, and he listed his grandmother, Mary Edick, as his contact person. Arthur worked at Akins and Herbold garage prior to enlistment.

Arthur enlisted in the US Army Air Force on July 14, 1941, in Utica, New York. He joined the 43rd Bombardment Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. After graduating from a radio course, he became an aviation cadet at Nashville, Tennessee. 2Lt. Arthur Edick was commissioned in the USAAF in June 1943 in Yuma, Arizona.

Two of Arthur’s brothers also served in World War II. SSgt. John H. Edick was stationed in California, and Pvt. Daniel Edick was with the U.S. Marine Corps somewhere in Panama. A brother-in-law, Pvt. Stewart Young, served in the U.S. Army during WWII.

On September 22, 1942, it was reported in the Rome Daily Sentinel newspaper that Arthur became engaged to Estelle Ewanyk, also of Rome, New York. Estelle was working in the payroll department at General Cable Corporation. Arthur and Estelle married on July 3, 1943, at La Junta Air Base in La Junta, Colorado, where Arthur was based. After a furlough at home in Rome, New York, the couple moved to Orlando, Florida, where Arthur attended an advanced flying course at Orlando Air Base at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics.

Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, 1943 Jul 22, page 2

Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, 1942 Sep 22, page 3

On the morning of October 8, 1943, Lt Arthur Edick, and two other Army Air Force pilots were killed instantly in a midair collision of two training airplanes near Deland, Florida. A fourth pilot, Lt. Lawrence Anctil, of Pittsfield, Maine, parachuted to safety. The two other pilots killed were identified as Lt. John Goodchild of Circleville, Ohio, and Lt. James Corbin of San Mateo, California. Lt. Corbin is listed as the pilot of the plane, an AT-11 Kansan, #41-9478. Friends of Lt. Edick and his wife telephoned the news to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Ewanyk, of Stanwix Heights at 8 p.m. that night.

Rome, New York’s, first local funeral for a victim of World War II was held October 12, 1943, for Lt. Arthur E. Edick. Six lieutenants from Rome Army Airfield were pallbearers, a firing squad from the Airfield fired three volleys, and Taps were sounded. A base chaplain assisted at the funeral service at the First Methodist Church. Prayer services were held at the home of Arthur’s sister, Mrs. Fred (Mary) Jones, New London, prior to the funeral. Members of Henry P. Smith Post 24 of the American Legion paid their respects at Mrs. Jones’ home the evening of October 11. Interment was in the Rome Cemetery. The American flag, which covered his coffin, was presented to his widow, Estelle Ewanyk Edick.

Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, 1943 Oct 9 page 2

Lt. Arthur E. Edick was posthumously awarded the Rome Medal of Honor.

On May 26, 1944, a Memorial Day assembly program at honored the nine former Rome Free Academy students who have been killed during World War II. Lt. Arthur Edick was among those nine.

On June 29, 1944, Seaman Arthur Van Vleet and Glacomo Valvo, members of the Class of 1943, which presented the plaque to the school, unveiled a memorial plaque, dedicated to the nine former Rome Free Academy students who had been killed during World War II. Lt. Arthur Edick was among those nine whose names appear on the plaque.

On May 29, 1946, Legionnaire Evan Evans of Rome, New York, and WWII veteran of the China-Burma-India Theater, placed a flag on the grave of his buddy, 2Lt. Arthur Edick.

Estelle Ewanyk Edick later married Richard Ellinger and had two sons. Richard served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Estelle died in 1992 and is also buried in Rome Cemetery, along with her husband, Richard.

End notes: This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars Project, a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3 web sites. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact hillerson@beyondbb.com.

Resources:

FindAGrave:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19800968/arthur-e-edick

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19800967/john_b_edick

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19801383/pearl_r_edick

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89338157/john_howard_edick

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89338258/mary_young

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74677307/stewart_v_young

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114258340/gladys_r_reese

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42674591/daniel_raymond_edick

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/108322872/iona_magliocca

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113650688/wilma_walters