Ivan Finkle served as a radio operator with the 388th Bomb Group. He completed 21 missions. On 6 March 1944, his 22nd mission, his aircraft 'Blitzing Betsy' was shot down by German fighters returning from first mass daylight raid on Berlin over Holland. Four of the crew members were killed.



Ivan Finkel recalls this mission:

"I was returning from first mass daylight raid on Berlin, less than 40 minutes from home base. My 22nd mission. Four of crew were on 25, last mission, two of whom Killed in Action (KIA). One on his son's 1st birthday. A tragedy that lives with me constantly!"



He also recalls: "We shot down and killed Hugo Frey, an top German fighter ace."



Prisoner of War (POW). According to a post Ivan made on American Ex-Prisoners of War Guestbook, he was held in "Stalags Luft 6, 4, 1"



Ivan retired as a Captain in the United States Air Force. In 1959, he purchased The Sisson Tavern and ran it for thirty-three years. He continued to fly as a private pilot and he enjoyed taking his two sons up on flights.



On 12 December 2016, Ivan died, with his family around him.