Daniel Island resident honors heroic dad

Daniel Island has once again, in recognition of Memorial Day, decorated its downtown with Honor Banners. The banners honor veterans, living or deceased, as well as active duty military and first responders.

Joe Delpino, president-elect of the Daniel Island Exchange Club calls the banners, “A wonderful tribute to honor those who have defended the freedoms we all enjoy and to those who are serving to keep our communities safe every day!”

Behind each banner is the tale of a true hero. One such hero is the father of Daniel Island resident Cheryl Herzog. Her dad, 2nd Lt. Victor Romasco was a B-17 pilot with the 8th Air Force (which was part of the U.S. Army at that time) during World War II. During the war he carried out precision daylight bombing missions over France and Germany.

On Saturday, June 24, 1944, the courageous Romasco was on his 24th mission piloting the aircraft, the “Betty L”. He was part of an objective in France to destroy a railway bridge located near Tours. During the mission the Betty L was shot down.

Four of the nine crew members were killed and only one escaped. Romasco survived the crash, but was taken prisoner along with three other crew members. He spent 10 months in the German POW camp, Stalag Luft III, before being liberated by General Patton’s army on April 29, 1945.

One of his darkest memories of that time was the shortage of food for both POWs and German citizens. As the U.S. Army advanced on Germany, the POWs were forced to march east. “He saw men starving, willing to eat the most vile things, and I think this memory bothered him a long time,” Herzog said.

In 2017, Herzog and her husband Jim traveled to France and took part in a monument dedication honoring those on the Betty L. “The whole town, even the Mayor, turned out to honor the crew of the Betty L … One man, a boy of 10 at the time of the crash, spoke to us in French, and had a map of the location where my dad’s parachute had landed. Ironically, dad probably landed in or close to the little town where our hotel was located,” she said.

Even though he was awarded several medals including a Prisoner of War Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and a Purple Heart during his admirable military service, Herzog said her dad never considered himself a hero. “Dad would never call himself a hero! He said that he was doing what everyone was doing, fighting the good fight to win the war.”

Herzog added, “He was very proud to have been a part of the WWII effort, and to have flown one of the first missions on D-Day. He knew he was part of an historic event.”

For information on the Honor Banners, contact Joe Delpino at joedelpino1975@gmail.com or write to the Exchange Club of Daniel Island, 186 Seven Farms Drive, Suite F-157, Daniel Island, SC, 29492.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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