Paul Hargett was a 1938 graduate of Maysville High School in Mason County, Kentucky. At the time he enlisted in the Air Corps (March 1942), he was a senior student at the University of Kentucky, majoring in chemistry. He reported for pre-preflight training to Kelley Field, Texas. Later he trained at Santa Ana, California, Lemoore, California and then at Roswell, New Mexico, where he became a full-fledged pilot. He received his wings and his commission at Roswell on 20 May 1943 and that same day took as his bride, Miss Ruth Kramer of Chicago. He was stationed at Madras Army Airfield, Oregon, just before he flew his Flying Fortress across the Atlantic to England, leaving the States on 2 October 1943. Killed in Action (KIA) on his first mission, 8 November 1943, piloting B17F #42-3553. Crashed on takeoff near West Harling, cause of loss not ascertained. On November 12, four days after Lt. Hargett met death, his parents received a letter from him in which he expressed faith that all would go well with his four-motored B-17 bomber because the nine members of his crew were the best to be had.