Earl Adam Shaefer was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana on March 20, 1919. He passed away peacefully in San Antonio, Texas on Monday, November 22, 2010.

After graduating from Elmhurst High School in 1937, he attended General Electric's machinist-toolmaker apprentice program for 3 years before entering the Army Air Corps in August of 1941. Upon completion of the Aviation Cadet program and pilot training at Lake Field and being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant Pilot, he married his high school sweetheart, Margaret Ruth Seidner on March 16, 1942 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was then assigned to the 92nd B-17 Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force and sent to England in August 1942.

Flew some anti-submarine patrols before the nonstop Gander-Prestwick flight of August 1942, arriving in Bovingdon on August 26.  His first combat mission was on October 9, to Lille;  made four round trips to Portreath-Gibraltar, supporting hte North African effort, nine missions on DS to 303rd Sqdn; returned to the 92nd BG in mid April 1943 to complete a tour of 2 on August 17, 1943, and moved to the 11th CCRC as instructor.  

Rotating to the United States in December of 1943 and after R&R and leave, he was assigned to the Fery Group at Great Falls, 556th Base Unit, Long Beach; B-29 pilot 2th Recon, Morrison; 514th WX Recon, Guam.  

He served in the European Theater of Operations where he completed a combat tour of twenty five missions, culminating in the deadly Schweinfurt raid in October of 1943.

Earl spent a total of twenty eight years in the United States Air Force during which he held many posts in places such as Alaska, California, Greenland, Guam, and even Ottawa in an exchange program with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Throughout his career, he was especially thankful for his beloved wife, Ruth, and although he greatly credits her for their care and upbringing, he was a strong and steady influence in the lives of their six loving children.

When he retired from the Air Force in 1969, he had attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and earned several medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. He was also a named member of the Order of Daedalians, America's premier fraternal organization of military pilots. Even after he retired from military service he continued to fly for a private charter service based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana.