Albert E. Haar was drafted into the Army on July 7th, 1941. After basic training in Texas he volunteered for Army Air Corps and went to flight school in Texas. He washed out as a pilot, but went to gunnery school and bombardier school. On December 4th, 1943 he was commissioned a second lieutenant and received his flight wings.



Al became part of a B-17 crew, which went overseas in March of 1944, and ended up flying out of Knettishall Airfield near Thetford, England. He did two tours of duty there - 50 missions as a bombardier in B-17s. During his second tour he became lead bombardier for the 388th Bomb Group. During his 50 missions, besides the normal bombing duties, he helped supply the French underground, flew to Russia and returned through Iran and North Africa.



By the time the war was over, he had earned a Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, European, African, Middle Eastern campaign ribbons with 4 Bronze Stars.



When he returned home, he courted the girl next door, Ella Mae, and they were married on March 29th, 1947. Her wedding dress was made of silk salvaged from Al's parachute after his plane was destroyed on the ground in Russia.