Date of death:

April 29th, 2010

Nationality:

American

Entered Army Air Forces training June 28, 1943. August 1943 was Crew chief and top gunner aboard B-24 in the European Theater. His plane, part of the 8th Army Air Forces’ 489th Bomb Group(Heavy), 844th Bomb Squadron was based RAF Halesworth. His Ninth mission was bombing run to Rhenania-Ossag refinery when anti-aircraft burst hit plane. Abrupt dive was made to extinguish fire dropping 17,000 feet in three minutes. Through leaking hydraulic fluid and sparks made his way to rear of plane and told tail gunner to bail out. All crew aboard, including himself parachuted near Hamburg. Taken prisoner of war October 6, 1944 and given POW number 4267. Spent seven months in K9f.Lgr. 4 d. LW and sent note to his parents upon his release; May 21, 1945: "I have received fair treatment from(Germans), so don’t worry about my health as I am OK." Suffered injuries from parachute jump later requiring operation to fuse his neck’s spinal disks.

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