Published In:
Ann Arbor News, February 22, 1943
Caption:
EXCHANGE NOTES ON RAFT EXPERIENCES: Petty Officer Charles Albert Virant (left) and Sgt. John F. Bartek (right) got together for a few minutes in the Allenel hotel to exchange notes on their experiences adrift in the ocean on rafts. Virant, a U. S. Navy gunner on a merchant ship, spent 17 days on a raft in the South Atlantic after his ship was torpedoed. Bartek, who was with Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, lived 22 days on a raft in the Pacific. They will tell of their trips by raft, during the Army's program in Hill auditorium tonight.

Published In:
Ann Arbor News, February 22, 1943
Caption:
HEROES ARRIVE FOR SALUTE TO ANN ARBOR WAR WORKERS: Four men who have earned acclaim as heroes will tell of their experiences in action, and how American equipment compares with that of the Axis, during the public rally to be held in Hill auditorium tonight as the closing feature of the Army's salute to Ann Arbor war production efforts. Pictured beside a jeep at the courthouse after their arrival this morning are (left to right) Petty Officer Robert Brunner of the Coast Guard, Sgt. Tony Tracyzk of the Army, Sgt. John F. Bartek of the Army Air Forces, and Petty Officer Charles Albert Virant of the Navy. At the wheel of the jeep is Mrs. Frances Lueck, a driver for the Detroit ordnance department. (other pictures on page 14.)