Photo of Jap Plane Wing
                                                           In Hopedale Booklet


    An excellent four-color half-tone print of a piece of the wing of the first Japanese fighter
    plane shot down over Hawaii appears in a supplement to the May number of Cotton Chats,
    the house organ which Draper Corp. publishes for the benefit of the textile mills of this
    country and Canada.

    The scrap of the plane from which the picture was made was sent to the company by
    Ferdinand Spadoni, a former Draper employee, who is now in the Navy and located at an air
    base in Hawaii. The colors on the somewhat mutilated piece of metal are those of the Rising
    Sun of Japan.

    Seaman Spadoni is one of the 80-odd former Draper employees in the service who, at
    Christmas time, received the bonus that would have been theirs were they still on the Draper
    payroll. His letter of appreciation for that check accompanied the souvenir of the Jap plane
    and is reproduced in the supplement, together with his picture and a picture of a Japanese
    plane taken in the air over Hawaii.

    The supplement is an excellent war souvenir that will be especially treasured by those who
    know Seaman Spadoni.

    Young Spadoni, who is known to his family and friends by his middle name, Peter, rather
    than his first name, Ferdinand, is 26 years old and a native of Hopedale. He completed one
    year in Hopedale High School and attended St. Mary's High in Milford for a time. He also
    spent some time at a CCC camp.

    Before entering the Navy he worked on the shuttle job at the Draper Corp. plant. He enlisted
    in November 1939, and received his training at Newport, R.I. His first ship was the heavy
    cruiser, New Orleans. He went to Pearl Harbor in 1940 and was in Hawaii at the time of the
    Japanese raid. His present rating is aviation machinist, second class.

    Following is the letter sent by Seaman Spadoni to the Draper Corp. from a naval air station
    in Hawaii:

    Thanks a million for your kindness for sending me that most welcome check. It sure hit the
    spot and gave me enough pepper and ginger to knock down so many Japs for each one of
    those dollars. And when I say "so many," I mean plenty. It will be like taking candy away from
    a baby, and will be dedicated for the Draper Corporation.

    Enclosed is a piece of the first Japanese fighter plane we shot down at this Air Base. It's a
    piece of the Rising Sun. Be patient and I'll send enough pieces from each different plane
    show down to build one.  And again thank you for your kindness. Milford Daily News, May
    20, 1942

                                                             **************************

                                             Hopedale Man Presumed Dead

    HOPEDALE, Jan 8 [1946] - Fernando Peter Spadoni, aviation machinist mate 1c, son of
    Simoni Spadoni, 7 Home Park Avenue, who was declared missing in action March 5, 1943, is
    presumed dead. His family was notified of this fact yesterday afternoon in a letter from the
    secretary of the navy, James Forrestal. He is the seventh Hopedale man to be reported dead.

    The letter follows:

    My dear Mr. Spadoni:
    Your son, Fernando Peter Spadoni, Aviation Machinist's Mate first class, United States Navy,
    has been carried on the official records of the Navy Department in the status of missing in
    action as of 5 March 1943. In the early morning of 5 March 1943, the plane in which your son
    was flying, took off from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in a flight of nine bombing planes, to
    participate in a strike against enemy shipping in the Buin-Kahili area. The weather at the time
    was good and the visibility was clear. Some of the planes dropped flares over the target
    area, and when enemy searchlights came on, light anti-aircraft fire was encountered. After
    making runs over the illuminated area, the planes proceeded to Ballale. In the midst of
    intense anti-aircraft fire, many bombs were dropped on the target. It is believed that the
    plane in which your son was flying was hit and crashed, as it failed to return to Henderson
    Field. To date, no further information has been received by the Navy Department concerning
    the fate of your son.

    In view of the additional length of time that has now elapsed since your son was reported
    missing in action, because of the strong probability that the plane in which he was flying was
    hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed, and that he lost his life as a result thereof, and in
    view of the fact that his name has not appeared on any list of personnel liberated from
    Japanese prisoner of war camps, I am reluctantly forced to the conclusion that he is
    deceased.

    I know what little solace the formal and written word can be to help meet the burden of your
    loss, but in spite of that knowledge, I cannot refrain from saying very simply, that I am sorry. It
    is hoped that you may find comfort in the thought that your son gave his life for his country,
    upholding the highest traditions of the Navy.

                                                                                    ********************

     Fernando P. Spadoni enlisted in the Navy in 1938 at the age of 24 years. Before enlistment
    he was employed by the Draper Corp. His 30th birthday anniversary was Dec. 17, 1945.

    His family has hoped that the sad news concerning him might never arrive, and have
    exhausted every means known to them for a trace of his whereabouts. They have
    corresponded with every member of the crew of the bomber on which "Spud" was a tail
    gunner and in January 1944 felt that there was a chance that he might be a Jap prisoner,
    when a report that his voice was heard over the short wave radio was circulated.

    In addition to his father, his relatives are a brother, Henry F. Spadoni, and a sister, Mrs.
    James Sheedy, nieces and nephews. Milford Daily News

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    All of the items below were sent by Stan Duprey. Stan's wife,
    the late Brenda Spadoni Duprey, was Fanny's niece.

Franny with Joe Racine

Franny is in the back row, middle - no shirt.

Franny is on the left.


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