Harvey Vest was the son of merchants from McComb MS. He worked for the railroad, and when WWII started, he enlisted with the US Army Air Force in January 1942. He qualified for pilot training and trained in Pendleton, OR, El Paso TX, Arizona and Nebraska before flying the Million Dollar Baby B-17 across the Atlantic via Labrador to Bury St. Edmonds base in March 1944. 
He piloted 35 missions over Germany and France and received the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal after 30 missions. In one of his very first missions an 18 plane squadron left the base with only 5 to return. He figured it was just a matter of time for his number to be called, yet his piloting and leadership skills kept his crew alive. 
Facing the German Messerschmidt planes was one of the most daunting tasks. On one mission, a Messerschmidt was barreling from behind toward his plane with guns ablaze when the tail gunner radioed “Tail Gunner to Pilot, Down!” Without question and instantly he threw the airplane nose down, barely missing the Messershmidt’s attack. 
On another mission, they returned to base with one engine out of service with a damaged propeller. Low on fuel and with poor flight control, they were luckily redirected to the closest air field where they made a successful emergency landing. This critical thinking and action led military leadership to extend his missions as they knew they had an excellent pilot. 
One of his saddest memories was seeing his best friend, also a pilot, being shot out of the sky on a run over Germany. 
He always said he was just lucky, and that seems to be the thoughts from so many veterans. Yet, it was undeniable he was highly skilled, and cool under pressure, traits he carried throughout his life.