March 20th, 2007 - Portland, Oregon: Highly decorated WWII veteran P-47 Thunderbolt pilot, Lt. Col. Rolland Wilfred (Rollie) Funk, USAF (Ret), with 109 combat missions under his belt, making him the 2nd rated 'Tank Buster' in the European Theater of Operations (1944-45), passed away at Previdence | Portland Medical Center.

Born Oct 16th, 1919 6 miles west of Yamhill, Oregon, he was 87 at the time of his passing. He is survived by his sister Virginia Rose Coon (Funk) of Boise, ID; William O. (Willie) Funk, CPP. Of Garland, Texas, Margaret A. LaPlante (Funk) of Brush Prairie, WA, Donald G. Funk, of Apache Junction and an impressive parentage of 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.

The site will eventually chronicle the highlights of his life and WWII career. The following are examples:

OREGON AVIATOR GETS 'SOUVENIRS'
LONODN, Sept. 12.-(AP) [1944] - On his return from flying throught debris after strafing a German column near Brest, Lieut. Rolland W. Funk, Thunderbolt pilot from Carlton, Or., pickup up: A shell case from a German 88 mm. gun which lodgeded in one wing; part of a German cart, which hung from his gas tank, and a letter addressed to a German soldier, which had become stuck in the barrel of one of his machine guns.

FUNK OF CARLTON IS NOW CAPTAIN
A 19th Tactical Air Command fighter-Bomber Base, France-Rolland W. Funk, Carlton, Ore., a flight commander with Colonel Anthony Grossetta's Ninth Air Force Thunderbolt raider group in France, has been recently promoted from first lieutenant to the rank of captain.

Captain Funk entered the army air forces March 9, 1942, at Portland, Oreg. He received his wings at Luke Field, Arizona, February 6, 1943. He joined the raider group soon after its activation, trained for combat, and accompanied the group overseas. He is now in command of a flight of Thunderbolts in operational missions against the enemy.

Before entering the air forces, Captain Funk was employed by Cunningham and Quigley in Carlton. He was graduated from Yamhill high school, Yamhill, Ore., with the class of 1937. He is the husband of Mrs. Dorothy M. Funk of Carlton.

Funk and his F-86

Map