He was assigned to the 563 BS of 388 BG but transferred to 550 BS of 96 BG and flew all missions with this Group.

Shot down 13 December 1943 in B-17 #4230602 'Dry Run IV. ' Prisoner of War (POW).

Earlier on return from Schweinfurt mission, B-17#42-3347 'Charlene'( a 385th BG plane) crashed in UK 10/14/43. Out of gas, the crew baled out successfully. Also flew the Berlin Airlift.

Enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in 1941, having served 4 years in the USMC. Discharged in 1968, after 31 years of military service.  

Described the most memorable moment in his life as "getting his crew back alive after 17 months in a prisoner-of-war camp: "Nine of us met at Lucky Strike Camp. We found out through the Red Cross that the 10th (crew member) had already been back to the States. They asked me what I was going to do now and I said, 'The war's still on in the Pacific, I think I'll get a B-29 and fly there.' They all asked, 'If you get a B-29, can we come with you?' That's what you call love, and belief, and it makes me cry when I think of it. Where can you find people like that?"