Ambrose Edward Haas, 95, of Warm Springs, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 16, 2021, at Pocahontas Healthcare and Rehab Center. Ambrose was born on January 24, 1926, in Bronx, New York to Ambrose and Bertha (Smith) Haas. A child of the 1930s depression, his family suffered through hard times. He and his sisters were eventually raised by his grandparents, Frederick and Mary Smith of North Guildford, Connecticut. He learned the value of hard work by performing various farming chores, milking cows, and peddling the local Middletown Press newspaper.

During World War II, Ambrose quit high school, and joined the U.S. Navy. In March 1943, he commenced Boot Camp at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and upon graduation was selected for Aviation Machinist Mate School (Navy Pier Chicago). He volunteered to be an air gunner and commenced Radar Operator and Aerial Gunner School in Memphis and Pensacola. In February 1944, he was assigned to Navy Patrol Squadron VPB-104 as a mechanic and ball turret (belly) gunner on a B-24 Liberator Patrol Bomber (Crew 10). After completing operations training in Hutchinson, Kansas, his squadron deployed to the South Pacific.

By late October 1944, VPB-104 and Crew 10 were flying search and destroy missions from a forward operating base on the island of Morotai in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). Crew 10 flew single plane attacks on Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Okinawa raiding enemy supply bases and shipping. All their bombing runs were low level and as the belly gunner, Ambrose engaged enemy forces with his twin 50 cal. machine guns.

On December 1st Crew 10 sunk their first ship, a 1,500 ton freighter, and shot down two enemy planes including a Japanese heavy bomber. Also that month, Crew 10 sunk eight Japanese coastal vessels and shot down a transport plane. In January, VPB-104 shifted to Clark Field, Philippines, and they sank another Japanese merchant ship in the Celebes Sea. In April, they had their most successful missions raiding Canton and Shanghai, China.

By the end of June1945, Crew 10 had successfully complete 60 combat missions and was due to rotate home. Total war record: Three large merchant ships, two river boats, multiple coastal transport vessels, a sea tug, a locomotive and freight train. During his 8 month tour, Ambrose earned three stars for his naval aviation combat wings insignia (Air, Land, and Sea), two Distinguished Flying Cross Medals, the Air Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (four battle stars), and the Philippines Liberation Medal. He was in training in Pensacola when World War II ended. He would always talk of his war escapades.

In the summer of '42, Ambrose met his future wife, Frances Danek, swimming in Hidden Lake, Higganum, Connecticut. After the war, Ambrose went back to Connecticut and graduated from Deep River High School. On June 21, 1947, Ambrose married Frances in Queens, New York. During their 73 years of marriage they lived together in Connecticut and Arkansas. They raised three children; Doug, Sandy, and Russ. For 27 years, Ambrose worked at New Haven Screw Machine Company (in Milford, Connecticut) manufacturing and mass producing machined metal parts. He started as a production "set up man", rising to foreman, and then plant manager. In 1977, Ambrose retired and, along with Frances, moved to homestead on 10 acres in Warm Springs, Arkansas.

Ambrose enjoyed boating, salt water fishing (catching "fighting flats"), wood working, and watching his sports teams - the New York Football Giants and the Chicago Cubs. He didn't become a diehard baseball fan until he moved to Arkansas, watching afternoon Cubs games and listening to their beloved announcer Harry Carey. In retirement, he spent many hours in his wood working shop making walnut furniture and clocks for Frances, his children, and grandchildren. The walnut trees off his Arkansas property supplied all the wood. Each of his children received a personalized handcrafted grandfather clock. Life and peaceful living in his hilltop homestead, along with Frances, was where he wanted to be. He always would sing a few lines from a famous country ballet - Let the Rest of World Go By:
"And we\u0027ll find perfect peace where joys never cease,
Out there beneath the kindly skies,
We\u0027ll build a sweet little nest,
Somewhere in the west,
And let the rest of the world go by"

Ambrose is preceded in death by his wife Frances, his grandparents Frederick and Mary Smith, and sister, Barbara Purser. Ambrose is survived by his children, Douglas Haas (Loni), Sandra Pekari (Doug), Russell Haas (Janet), his 7 grandchildren, Shalon Osier, Torey Haas, Jaime Pekari, Allison Core, Theresa Haines, Katherine Tharp, and Steven Haas, 3 great grandchildren, Maddox Core, Kellen Haines, and Bennet Haines and many Smith and Purser relatives and cousins. Memorial and funeral services will be held in Connecticut. Ambrose will be interred in Higganum-Burr Cemetery, Haddam, Connecticut with his wife, Frances.

Local arrangements are under direction of McNabb Funeral Home.