Pilot - Lt. Nedgel R. Leathers

Toone, Tennessee

Raised on a farm near Memphis, Ned went into Aviation Cadet training after finishing high school.  He was steady, solid, predictable, guileless; he knew his job and he did it well.  He was genuinely fascinated when faced with something new - like an Italian Opera or the latrines in the French Foreign Legion barracks.

Ned completed his combat quota, flying Squadron Lead on a number of missions and returned to the U.S. serving as a B-24 instructor in Alabama until discharged.

Co-Pilot - Lt. Joseph W. Shuster

St. Johns, Pennsylvania

Son of a Luteran minister in a small town in Pennsylvania, Joe had enlisted in the Reserves and was called to active duty in February 1943, half way through his first year at Gettysburg College.

Though his first choice was a fighter plane assignment, he was happy with duty on a B-24 crew.

Later in his tour, he was assigned to check out and instruct incoming replacement crews.

After completing his alloted missions, Jow instructed in a basic pilot school in Bakersfield, California.

Bombardier - Lt. Robert W. Bureau

Liberty Center, Ohio

Bob was the "old man of the crew, with prior Army experience in the Field Artillery before transferring to the Aviation Cadet program.  He was the crew's spark plug always coming up with something to do.

A good bombardier, Bob always scored high on our practice runs in the Arizona desert and he flew as lead bombardier on a number of occasions.

Because of illness, Bob was the last of our crew to return to the States where he served as bombardier instructor.

Navigator - Lt. Donald A. Fischer

Saginaw, Michigan

Sober and scholarly, as most navigators were, Don came from Michigan where he had completed several years of college before joining the Air Corps.

An excellent navigator, he was dedicated and serious in a way that beskoke his German heritage.  He waas the second oldest man on the crew and our only married man.

The only crew member to suffer injury, Don was shot down over Munich flying with another crew.  A POW for nearly a year, he was finally repatriated by Patton's tanks.