Brunson W. “Bunny” Bolin, 87, husband of Hazel Stroud Bolin of Tyrone, Ga., passed away on Aug. 3, 2011 at his residence.
Mr. Bolin was born in Greenville, S.C., on Feb. 15, 1924.
The relatives and friends of Brunson “Bunny” Bolin are invited to attend his committal service on Monday, Aug. 8, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. at the VA Georgia National Cemetery, 1080 Veterans Cemetery Road, Canton, Georgia.
Mr. Bolin was preceded in death by his parents, James W. D. Bolin and Addie McWhirter Bolin; grandson Timothy Bolin and daughter-in-law Sandy Wilson Bolin.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Hazel Stroud Bolin of Tyrone, Ga.; sister Lucille “Billie” Starnes, of Memphis, Tenn.; brother Eugene Bolin and his wife Bodil, of Tacoma, Wash.; brother Louie Bolin and his wife Doris, of Greenville, S.C.; son Tony Bolin and his wife, Britton, of Fayetteville, Ga.; son Timothy Bolin, of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; daughter Anne Bolin Culver and her husband, Rick, of Roswell, Ga.; granddaughter Catherine Bolin Kohler and her husband Michael, of Marietta, Ga.; granddaughter Elizabeth Bolin of Newnan, Ga.; granddaughter Heather Bolin Savage of Chatsworth, Ga.; grandson Brock Bolin of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; grandson Corey Culver of Roswell, Ga.; granddaughter Carson Culver of Roswell, Ga.; grandson Casey Culver of Roswell, Ga.; great-granddaughter Avery Kohler of Marietta, Ga.; great-grandson Cody Savage of Chatsworth, Ga.; great-grandson Connor Savage of Chatsworth, Ga. and great-granddaughter Melody Savage of Chatsworth, Ga.
He enjoyed a long and productive career at Delta Air Lines, starting in 1946 as a station agent in Greenville, SC. In 1956 he transferred to Delta’s headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., and was soon promoted to Flight Control Operations where he remained until his retirement after more than forty years of continuous service.
Like so many of America’s Greatest Generation, Mr. Bolin rarely spoke of his participation in World War II. He felt his war experiences were unremarkable and no more or less than many others in similar circumstances. His humility was a constant, but family and friends marveled at the hardships he endured and the courage he displayed.
Mr. Bolin enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the age of eighteen and received his officer’s commission and pilot’s wings on May 23, 1943, at the Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Lubbock, Texas. He was assigned to the 364th Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force, based in Chelveston, England.
On Oct. 14, 1943, he took off on his eighth and final mission, a daylight bombing raid over Schweinfurt, Germany, later referred to as “Black Thursday” due to the heavy losses sustained by the Allied forces. His B-17 “Flying Fortress” (the “Lazy Baby”) was heavily damaged by German anti-aircraft artillery (flak), and a direct hit to the bombardier’s compartment from a Focke-Wulf fighter plane. The crew was ordered to bail out.
While making his way to the escape hatch, his parachute D-ring snagged and his chute opened while still inside the plane. His only option was to gather the parachute canopy in his arms, jump from the plane and hope for the best. He landed roughly, but in one piece and was quickly captured by German forces.
He was held as a prisoner-of-war at Stalag Luft III, made famous as the site of “The Great Escape,” conducted by British airmen. While there, he participated in many escape activities such as surreptitiously spreading dirt from tunnel excavations by walking around the camp and dropping the dirt from long cloth bags concealed beneath his long coat.
During his captivity the Germans moved the location of the POW camp several times in response to the advancing Russian Army, including a forced march in brutal winter conditions. He was held captive as a POW for more than eighteen months before being liberated by Gen. George Patton’s Third Army as they swept across Germany on their way to Berlin.
For his air combat activities Mr. Bolin was awarded the Bronze Air Medal and a Purple Heart.
The family requests that donations be made to the not-for-profit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; Children’s Foundation, 1687 Tullie Circle NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329 https://giving.choa.org/donatenow.
Parrott Funeral Home and Crematory, Fairburn, GA 30213
