Irving Pliskin, 85, ad executive and POW

Irving Pliskin, 85, of Cherry Hill, a retired advertising executive and World War II navigator who was shot down and captured by German soldiers, died of complications from sclerosis of the liver Tuesday at Samaritan Hospice, Mount Holly.

The last thing Mr. Pliskin heard before he woke up midair under his parachute was "Flak at 12 o'clock!" With that, his B-17 bomber was hit. When Mr. Pliskin landed, a German soldier was waiting.

Mr. Pliskin, 20, was taken to Stalag Luft 1, a prisoner-of-war camp in Barth, Germany. One of three of the nine crew members to survive the attack, he remained in captivity from January to May 1945, when the Soviets liberated him.

Years later, Mr. Pliskin made it his mission to share his experiences and those of his fellow veterans. He made presentations in schools and before organizations, often sharing memorabilia, such as the dinner plate he had crafted from discarded soup cans.

"He thought that when educators dealt with World War II, it was just a chapter and not much detail," said his wife, Frances Sudhalter Pliskin. "He thought the oral history was being lost."

Born in Schenectady, N.Y., Mr. Pliskin joined the Army Air Force after he graduated from Flushing High School. He earned the rank of lieutenant with the Eighth Air Force. He flew 23 missions before he was shot down.

Mr. Pliskin earned a bachelor's degree in English and psychology from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, in 1947.

He worked briefly as a reporter in New York, but didn't enjoy the job. He turned to copywriting and soon settled into a career in advertising. He moved to Cherry Hill in the mid-1960s and eventually started an advertising firm in Merchantville and Collingswood.

He sold the business in 1992. After his retirement, Mr. Pliskin wrote fiction and chronicled his experiences on www.alongstoryshort.net, an ezine for writers on the Web. He served as an officer of several veterans and POW organizations and counseled entrepreneurs on how to expand their businesses.

In addition to his wife of 61 years, Mr. Pliskin is survived by sons David and Jon, daughter Nancie Glazer, two brothers, and four grandchildren.

Friends may call after 11:15 a.m. tomorrow at Platt Memorial Chapels, 2001 Berlin Rd., Cherry Hill, where a POW observance will begin at 11:45 and a funeral service at noon. Burial will be in Locustwood Memorial Park, Cherry Hill.

Memorial donations may be made to Samaritan Hospice, 5 Eves Dr., Suite 300, Marlton, N.J. 08053.