Harry wanted to train to be a pilot, but was instead assigned to Bombadier school. Harry flew 35 bombing missions between June, 1944 and January, 1945. Based at Debach, England, he was a bombardier with Gene Lobb's crew for his first dozen missions or so until the aircraft was diverted for food transport missions. Harry then joined another crew for his subsequent missions. On one mission deep into Germany his squadron faced headwinds both going and coming and ran out of fuel before reaching England. The plane was forced to land in Belgium, barely reaching an Allied controlled airfield, just across the front lines. They took German small arms fire as they landed.

After completing his 35 missions, Harry finally began pilot's training--his burning ambition--preparing for an additional tour in the Pacific. The war ended before he finished.

He was always proud of his service, and shared many stories of time with his crewmates, but talked little of combat experiences. He died of a heart attack in 1967.

I am Harry Maynard's son. I heard personal testimony from him and his pilot, co-pilot, plus I have original documents and photos.

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://493bgdebach.co.uk/roster_list.php