Staff Sergeant Felix John Shostak

The funeral service for Staff Sergeant Felix John Shostak who died on August 18, 1944 in Northern France will be held 11 AM Saturday June 14, 2025 at the St. Bridget's Church in West Rutland. The burial with full military honors will be in St. Dominic's Cemetery in Proctor, VT.
SSG Shostak was born on November 19, 1919 in Proctor, VT the son of Michael and Mary (Luneski) Shostak.
He was a 1938 graduate of Proctor High School and then the Quoddy Project Cook School in Eastport, ME as a chef.
SSG Shostak was employed at the Rutland Restaurant when he enlisted in the US Army Air Corp on April 30, 1942. He served as a Top Turret Gunner on the B-24H "Bolicat" #41-29473, with the 860th Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group. On August 18, 1944 the B-24 Liberator he was in, while over their target a German airfield Roye-Amy in Northern France, was hit by enemy flak causing the plane to catch fire and crash near Boussicourt, France. Only one airman survived, the other eight crew members, including SS Shostak, were still on board the plane when it crashed.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. Officially the U.S. Army declared SS Shostak as missing in action. He was listed on the memorial at the Tablets of the Missing at the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neupré, Belgium,. A rosette will be added next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
The American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), Army Quartermaster Corps was the organization and tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. Following the war, the AGRC disinterred and identified six sets of remains that were recovered from the village cemetery at Pierrepont-sur-Avre, France. At the time they were unable to identify SS Shostak and one other crewmember.
In 2007 at the site of the crash a 1938 Proctor Class ring and SS Shostak dog tags were found, they were returned to the family on July 5, 2008.
In 2018, investigators excavated a site near Boussicourt which they believe correlated with SS Shostak's crash site. While there, they were able to recover possible remains along with other materials believed to be associated with the B-24H. This new evidence, along with previously unidentified remains, were sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis and identification.
His mother Mary died in 1964, a sister Louise Shostak Cardinale in 1975, and brothers Hippolit Shostak in 1970 and Charles August Shostak ( SGT U.S. Army who was awarded 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart) on Dec 28, 2014.
Arrangements are with the Aldous Funeral Home, Rutland, VT.