John Alois Kravec
RAF Fighter Pilot (May 17, 1923 – April 26, 2001)
Quick Facts
From Smilno to the Wartime Skies of Europe
John Alois Kravec was born on May 17, 1923 in the village of Smilno to Andrej and Anna Kravec (née Tomiková). The young couple had previously lived in the U.S., where they married in 1909. They later returned to Slovakia, where they gradually had four children. John was the second oldest and grew up on the family farm. In 1938, at his ailing father’s request, he emigrated to the U.S. to join his uncle living in New York. There he continued in his education and dreamed of becoming a pilot one day. After the outbreak of World War II, he decided to fight against Nazism. As he did not yet have American citizenship, he went to Canada and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He flew solo for the first time on February 10, 1943. In July of that same year, he earned his pilot wings and was soon transferred to England. On March 19, 1944, he flew a Spitfire solo for the first time, and on June 8 he was assigned to No. 310 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron of the RAF. He flew his first combat mission on June 15, 1944, when, together with Otto Smik and František Vindiš, he took part in the destruction of two Fw 190 aircraft. By the end of the month, he had participated in the downing of two more Bf 109s and in attacks on German transport targets. On September 9, 1944, he was forced to make an emergency landing due to engine failure, but later that same day, in another aircraft, he took part in the destruction of one Bf 109 and two torpedo boats. The following day he damaged additional enemy vessels, and on November 15 he survived another emergency landing. In total, he completed 66 operational flights — from bomber escort and combat patrols to attacks on German ships and transports. He most often flew an aircraft he named Miss New York. Although he did not achieve an individual aerial victory, his skill and perseverance earned him four Czechoslovak War Crosses and several other Czechoslovak and British decorations. After the war, he flew as a pilot for Czechoslovak Airlines in Prague. In 1947, he married Nadine Janatová, with whom he had two sons. After the Communist coup in 1948, he emigrated permanently back to the U.S., where he began as an apprentice at Otis Elevator. He later graduated from New York University and built a career as an aircraft engine engineer at General Electric, while also collaborating with BMW in Munich. He retired in 1995, and after the fall of communism he returned to his native Smilno in 1994. John Alois Kravec died on April 26, 2001 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the age of 78, and is buried there beside his wife. In Slovakia, his story was rediscovered only after 1989. In 2023, on the centenary of his birth, this memorial was unveiled to him in Smilno — as a reminder of Slovaks whose courage led them into battle in Europe and, after the war, to new lives across the ocean.
About the Memorial
The memorial to John Alois Kravec was ceremonially unveiled in Smilno on 5 October 2023, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth. It is located by the village bus stop, halfway between the municipal office and the village cemetery, where John A. Kravec’s paternal grandparents are buried. In this way, the local community paid tribute to a native son whose story had remained hidden for many years and only returned to public awareness decades later. The revival of John A. Kravec’s memory was significantly helped by an initiative from 2021, when the Smilno municipal office received a request for more detailed information, photographs, and documents about him from Ján Kratochvíl of Brno, the author of publications about veterans of the Second World War. Through the Kravec family, valuable materials were then obtained from John’s son Hank Kravec, and the village used them not only in preparing the memorial, but also in publishing a small brochure about his life, The Story of John Alois Kravec. The idea of erecting the memorial was discussed by the mayor of the village, Bc. Vladimír Baran, already on 5 October 2022 with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, Gen. Ing. Daniel Zmeko. After preparations were completed and the necessary funds secured, the ceremonial unveiling took place one year later, in the presence of several important representatives of the Slovak Armed Forces, including the Chief of the General Staff, as well as the Commander of the Armed Forces, Genmjr. Ing. Róbert Tóth. Also present were Andrew Wells, Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy in Slovakia, representatives of the village, family members, and members of the public. The commemorative event was also attended by active servicemen from the village, Col. Ing. Jozef Baran-Tomik and Sgt. Marek Lacek, who joined the wreath-laying ceremony together with the other attendees. The memorial plaque was provided by relatives Anna Kravcová and her husband Daniel, while the base was donated by the mayor of Zborov, JUDr. Ján Šurkala. Refreshments were prepared by relatives and volunteers from Smilno, and the entire event was arranged with great respect and a strong sense of local solidarity. The solemn day was further marked by the flyover of two Black Hawk helicopters. The unveiling of the memorial became a significant moment in the history of Smilno, restoring the memory of a courageous local native and reminding visitors of those whose life stories were long overlooked.
Information Panel Installation
The expansion of the memorial site with an informational panel was initiated by Ing. Pavol Horňák from Košice, who has spent nearly a decade documenting wartime stories connected to Slovakia and people of Slovak origin. Thanks to his interest and initiative, it was possible to establish contact with the village of Smilno as well as with the son of John Alois Kravec, allowing his life story to be documented in greater depth. The informational panel, installed on 5 May 2026, complemented the memorial with a more detailed historical description, providing passers-by with essential information about the life and service of John Alois Kravec directly in the public space. Its unveiling took place on 8 May 2026 as part of the annual commemoration marking the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Location
Photo Gallery
