After 4 years of High School, Thomas Pirtle Jr enlisted in April 1942 and followed bomber pilot training. Sent overseas, he was assigned to the 381st Bomber Group / 532nd Bomber Squadron. He was Pilot of B-17 # 42-38029 when it was shot down on the 8 March 1944 mission to Berlin-Erkner. Bailing out too near the ground, he broke his leg on landing in a field and was immediately captured. After hospitalization and recovery, he was sent to Stalag Luft 3 in occupied Poland where he spent a few months. Due to the approaching Russian forces, the Germans decided to empty the camp at the end of January 1945 and the American prisoners were force-marched to Stalag 7A in Moosburg, Germany. That camp was liberated by US troops on 29 April 1945 and Thomas Pirtle was repatriated via France and England. He reported in September 1945 to the Personnel Distribution Command in San Antonio, Texas.