Bouska, Thomas E. 1922 - 2012

BOUSKA, LUSSON, SOBOLIK, ECKERMAN, BARCO, BAILEY, STONE, BILLMYER, WEINKAUF, DOLAN

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/22/2024 at 16:07:22

Lt. Col. (retired) Thomas E. Bouska, age 90, died February 5, 2012, at Regional Health Services of Howard County in Cresco, Iowa. He was born in Cresco, Iowa, and graduated from Cresco High School, after which he worked at the Cresco Greenhouse until he was inducted into the US Army in 1943. He completed pre-flight and advanced bombardier training at Santa Ana and Victorville, California. While in California, he married Helen M. Sobolik, of Cresco, in May 1944. He flew fifty-one missions with the 15th Air Force, 450th Bomb Group, as a B-24 bombardier over Europe, surviving several hits to his planes and multiple forced or crash landings. For this and later service, he was awarded the European African Middle Eastern Theatre Campaign Ribbon with five bronze stars, two unit citations, the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Distinguished Flying Cross, the latter “for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight against the enemy….” After World War II, Tom and Helen moved back to Cresco, where Tom worked as a plumber and volunteered for the Cresco Fire Department until he was recalled into the US Air Force for the Korean Conflict, where he was a bombardier on a B-29 crew based in Japan. Deciding to stay in the military, the couple lived at multiple Air Force bases around the country while he served as an electronic countermeasures (ECM) officer on various crews, and later as coordinator of civilian aircraft during the Cuban Missile Crisis, part of an airbase reorganization team, and finally as commander of the office in charge of the Air Force nuclear control codes. Tom and Helen both retired in 1969 and returned to live in Cresco, building a house along the Upper Iowa River in Florenceville and then the “round” house in town. He also built or re-built several other houses around Cresco, built grandfather clocks for many local people, and created beautiful walnut furniture that Helen designed. Tom served on the Cresco City Council, and was a long-time member of the VFW, the American Legion, the Cresco Country Club, and Notre Dame (Assumption) parish. The couple also spent twenty-five winters in Tucson, Arizona. Tom is survived by his daughter, Amy S. Bouska, of Cresco; his brother, Francis (Bus) Bouska, of Ocala, Florida; four nieces, Kay Eckerman, Terry Barco, Carolen Bailey, and Barbara Stone; and a nephew, David Billmyer. He was pre-deceased by Helen M. Bouska, his wife of 67 years; his parents, Edward and Susan (Lusson) Bouska, of Cresco, Iowa; his sisters, Wilma Weinkauf and Rose Billmyer; and a niece, Linda Dolan.

Cemetery:
Interment will be at Oak Lawn Cemetery.

Source: Lindstrom Funeral Home database

Oak Lawn Cemetery
 

Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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