About the Men

Santo lived in Philadelphia when he enlisted. Known to his family as Sandy, he was severely injured in his first week in the air in Polebrook. He spent four months recovering until he could return to base. Originally a ball turret gunner, his position was changed to waist gunner later in the war. He was twenty-one years old when he died.

Max lived in New York when he enlisted. Known to his family as Mendy, he performed more than his required 35 missions during his time in Polebrook, even volunteering for a mission to pick up POWs at the end of the war. He was twenty-six years old when he died.

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Calvert lived in Kentucky running a general store when he was drafted. In this picture he wore a bomber jacket typically reserved for airmen. Family isn't sure how he came to obtain the jacket, but he wore it every chance he could. He was thirty-four years old when he died.

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Dick was married, and lived in Berkley, California when he entered the military in Intelligence after three years of college. He served as a meteorologist at Polebrook. He was twenty-nine years old when he died.

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Morris was from Poland and not a US citizen. He lived in Brooklyn, NY when he was drafted. In his role as duty soldier, he would have provided duties involving heavy labor. He was thirty-eight years old when he died.

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Ken was from Hanover, PA when he was drafted. He was a well-known athlete in high school and college. He was on the championship team of Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Basketball League, and on a golf team at Franklin and Marshall Academy & College. Originally serving as a gunner, after completing seven missions, he then became a gunnery instructor. He was twenty-four years old when he died.

Known as "Bing" to his family, Al was a beloved member of the 351st Bomb Group, lost in the February 6, 1945 midair collision over Polebrook when he was just twenty-one. He was from Louisiana and also had siblings serving in other branches of the military during the war.​​​​​

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Sheldon was from NY when he enlisted in the military. He served in England for twenty-six months, first as an armorer, keeping bombs and guns in order, and later as a link trainer operator and instructor, teaching soldiers using simulation.  He was twenty-three years old when he died. His father dedicated a lecture hall at Mount Sinai hospital in NY in his memory.

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Edwin lived in Massachusetts when he was drafted. He enjoyed photography and was well-suited for working in the photo lab, developing the photos taken at the bombing missions so that the next missions could be planned. He fell in love with an English woman named Valerie and was engaged to be married when he died at twenty-five years old. ​​​

Paul was living in Massachusetts when he was drafted. His parents were Russian. In December of 1943, he was only one of three men who survived a ditching in the English Channel. Later, he married an English woman and they were expecting a baby. He  was twenty-six years old when he died. A son was born and named after him.​​​​

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Lester lived in Pennsylvania when he enlisted. He had seven siblings, and was twenty-two years old when he died. ​​​

David lived in Pennsylvania when he was drafted. At the end of the war, he volunteered for a mission to pick up POWs. He was twenty-three years old when he died. 

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Boyd was born in Texas but lived in California when he was drafted. He repaired the bombers when they returned from missions each day. He was forty-seven years old when he died.

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Howard lived in Indiana when he joined the military. He was married. His comrades called him Howie. He was twenty-six years old when he died, and had been married for a year and a half. ​

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John lived in Pennsylvania when he was drafted. He repaired aircraft to make them airworthy for missions. He enjoyed music and at home often played with his father and two brothers. Much of his family served in the military: his father served in WW1 & WW2, and his brother served in WW2 in the Navy. He was twenty-two years old when he died. His nephew is named after him.​

Teed was married and lived in Iowa when he was drafted. The men working in Intelligence often performed the debriefing after missions, gathering critical information to assist in the planning of future missions. He was forty years old when he died.​​​

Bob was from NY when he enlisted. Comrades remembered him as an incredibly skilled and focused gunner. He was described as having a wonderfully dry sense of humor. He was twenty years old when he died.​​

Hailing from Texas, Joe was married when he went overseas. At the end of the war, he volunteered for a mission to pick up POWs. He was twenty-six years old when he died.

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Camille lived in Iowa and was engaged when he was drafted. His nickname at home was Jiggs. The men working in Intelligence often performed the debriefing after missions, gathering critical information to assist in the planning of future missions. He was thirty-seven years old when he died.​​

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A husband and father from Virginia, Joe was only twenty-two when he died. His daughter, Bonnie, was just nine months old—an infant he longed for but never had the chance to meet.

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Norm Stevens was a WWII bombardier serving on the same crew as Santo Caruso in Polebrook, England. After the war, he wrote three books about his experiences there. He earned his BA at UCLA and later his MA at CSULA, and worked as a teacher in California. He was married for over fifty-two years to his wife, Dolores. He passed away in 2024 at 99 years of age.​​​​

John was from Oklahoma when he was drafted. As crew chief, he supervised repairs and inspected the bombers prior to the each mission. He was twenty-five years old when he died.

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John Lloyd's father, Robert,  was one of the first responders to the plane crash on June 8, 1945. Although Robert passed away, John has carried on his father's passion to preserve and protect the area in continued remembrance of that fateful day.   As a teenager, Matt Rimmer—known later as Matt Reeves—took the initiative to erect the memorial plaque honoring the twenty fallen airmen. He also began the exhaustive research that helped ensure these men would never be forgotten.