Thank You from the Family of James O. Conway
To the Editor:
On behalf of the family of James O. Conway , we would like to thank Representative Adrian C. Madaro, 1st Suffolk District and Robert Santiago, Commissioner of Veterans Services for the City of Boston for their support of the James O. Conway Memorial on Bayswater Street in East Boston. With their support, an effort is underway to rededicate the site with a plaque that will include a biography and a QR code that visitors can scan to receive background information about this decorated pilot.
On October 2, 1954, Lieutenant James O. Conway, a pilot with the Air National Guard 101st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, gave his life to protect the Bayswater Street neighborhood. Shortly after taking off from Logan Airport, his F94 Starfire aircraft loaded with fuel and ammunition, experienced loss of power. Rather than eject from the aircraft, Lieutenant Conway remained with the disabled aircraft and veered it into an embankment on Bayswater Street to protect the East Boston neighborhood. Lieutenant Conway was awarded posthumously the Medal of Valor, the first recipient of the state’s highest honor for courage and heroism for a member of the state’s National Guard. A replica of the state medal is on permanent display in the rotunda of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, DC.
The family is indebted to Representative Madaro and Commissioner Santiago for their efforts on behalf of the memorial to James O. Conway. Their support will ensure current and future generations of East Boston residents will never forget the heroics of this courageous pilot.
Respectfully,
Sarah C. Brozowski, niece of
James O. Conway