Lieutenant Wilk received his commission at Brooks Field, Texas. He has been stationed at March Field, Texas, during the past year and went overseas right before Christmas 1943.

A graduate of Eau Claire Senior High School, he also attended the teachers college here for four years.

The parents are awaiting further word, for the telegram gave no further details.

Regensburg Raid February 22
News dispatches, covering the air operations on February 22, stated that Italian-based U.S. Army planes bombed Regensburg, home of two ME-109 factories, after flying over the Alps, and the loss was reported as "not exceptional." 

Lieutenant Wilk entered the service in 1941 and received his training at Randolph Field, Texas. He received his commission at Brooks Field, Texas and, before going overseas, was stationed at March Field, Texas. He arrived in Italy on Thanksgiving Day. He had spent some time in an Army hospital at Casablanca. 

A graduate of the Eau Claire Senior High School, Lieutenant Wilk also attended the Eau Claire State Teachers College for four years.

The information was contained on a German postcard mailed to the parents via Washington, DC, and signed by their missing son, who was a co-pilot on a bomber raiding points in Germany from its Italian base when it was shot down.

The parents have identified the signature on the card as that of their son. It was dated February 29, seven days after the bomber was reported shot down. On the card, Lieutenant Wilk wrote that he had not yet been sent to his permanent prison camp but that he was being  treated as well as could be expected and urged his parents not to do any worrying about him.  

Lieutenant Wilk had been in Italy since last fall.

Lieutenant Wilk was the pilot on a B-24, stationed in Italy with the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy. He was shot down over Germany on February 22 and is now a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft 1, Germany.

But there is another group of men overseas to whom packages from home are even more important than Christmas gifts, for the articles they contain may mean the difference between privation and plenty, illness and health; even life and death. These are the men interned in enemy-occupied territory, the prisoners of war. 

Unlike the Christmas packages, the gifts to prisoners of war may not be sent without label. Only the next of kin receive these labels, furnished by the Provost Marshal General's Office, without request. They are issued regularly, every 60 days. However, the labels are transferable, and members of a family, relatives, or friends may use one of these to send a package. If you have a relative or friend interned overseas, you might wish to volunteer to pack one of these bi-monthly boxes for him.

The American Red Cross acts as a channel, through which relief parcels are made available, insofar as possible, to all U.S. prisoners of war and civilian internees in Europe. To date, lack of transportation has made this impossible in the Far East. A "capture" parcel is given to each newly captured prisoner in Europe at the transit camp. Invalid parcels for convalescents and medical kits are made available to those who are ill or injured. 

A standard food parcel, paid for by the U.S. Government, is issued weekly to all U.S. prisoners of war and civilian internees in Europe. 

By the time the first next-of-kin parcel is received, most prisoners have already had the capture parcel, containing emergency supplies, as well as several standard food parcels. The first next-of-kin parcel should supply as many necessary articles as possible, but it should supplement, rather than duplicate, items contained in packages already received by the prisoner. 

It is suggested that lists of the contents of each parcel be kept, chronologically, by the next-of-kin, so that items will not be repeated unnecessarily. 

It is through the International Red Cross that letters are exchanged between prisoners of war and their families in the United States. It may take a long time, however, for the mail to get through, as the following letters from Eau Claire men indicate. Mrs. Walter Wilk received an "express message" from her son, Lieutenant La June F. Wilk, in a German prison camp. Under date of September 25, he wrote, "Still OK, if you haven't heard from me yet. Hope to get some mail in near future. Please don't worry. All my love." 

A letter, dated June 28, was received by Mrs. Lou Wolf from her son, Sergeant John V. Wolf, German prisoner of war: 

"Dear Mom: Just a note to let you know I have, as yet, received no mail. Hoping this reaches you to let you know I am well. Regards to all and love to you. Your loving son." 

A little later, July 8, Sergeant Wolf wrote his mother: 

"Still have not heard from any of you, but hope and pray all of  you are well. Had a nice day here on the Fourth. Ball games,  sports of all kinds, and a band concert from our band. The same day, we had a talent exhibition, pencil drawings, paintings, carvings and  novelties, all contributed by the camp talent. It was really wonderful.  I can't even write decent, let alone paint or draw, so yours truly exhibited nothing. The weather was perfect, so we had a pleasant day.  Had a movie recently, "Orchestra Wives." It was a treat, but not a movie I enjoyed too much. Must close, Mom. Love to all, oodles to yourself. Keep praying.  I am, Your loving son, Jack."

British and American Air officers were stationed at the camp operated by German Air Corps officers. Lieutenant Wilk was one of four Eau Claire men at the camp.

Lieutenant Wilk entered the service on November 11, 1941 and was commissioned at Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas on July 3, 1942. He went overseas in November 1943 and was shot down over Austria, while on a bombing mission to Regensburg on February 22, 1944. He was a co-pilot on a B-24. [**data missing**]

Lieutenant Korger and First Lieutenant La June Wilk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wilk, 1119 Second Avenue, were interned in the prison camp together.

Lieutenant Korger entered the service in December 1941 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant at Midland, Texas in August 1942.

He went overseas in February 1943 as a B-24 bombardier. On September 1, 1943, his plane was shot down over enemy territory. While in the German prison camp, he conducted a choir which was an important morale builder in the camp.

His wife, Bernice, lives in Eagle River, Wisconsin.

Lieutenant Wilk, U.S. Army Air Corps, was co-pilot on a bomber raiding points in Germany from its Italian base, when it was shot down on February 22, 1944. He had been in Italy since Thanksgiving Day 1943.

He entered the service in 1941 and received his training at Randolph Field, Texas. He received his commission at Brooks Field, TX and, before going overseas was stationed at March Field, Texas.

Mrs. Duane J. Young, 538 McDonough Street, received word on May 22 from the War Department that her husband, Technical Sergeant Young, who was reported missing in action on February 7, has been a prisoner of war of the Germans, and it is assumed that he now returned to military control.