World War II Honoree

Robert Leslie Haverty

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Newton, Massachusetts

Honored By

Rick Haverty

Relationship

Nephew

SERVED AS A STAFF SERGEANT WITH THE 15TH AIR FORCE, 484TH BOMBER GROUP, 825TH BOMBER SQUADRON, FLYING B-24'S. HE WENT TO GUNNERY SCHOOL IN EL PASO, TEXAS. HE DEPARTED TEXAS AND HEADED TO ITALY ON JULY 9, 1944 ABOARD THE NEWLY COMMISSIONED 'GENERAL MAYS'. HE FLEW HIS FIRST MISSION ON JULY 31, 1944 AND WAS ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED TO THE 827TH, BUT WAS MOVED TO THE 825TH. HIS PLANE WAS HIT BY FLAK ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THEY ALSO LOST TWO ENGINES ON OCTOBER 9TH. ON OCTOBER 11TH THEY LOST TWO ENGINES DURING TAKEOFF AND NEARLY CRASHED. ON DECEMBER 9,1944 HIS FLIGHT TOOK OFF HEADING FROM ITALY TO AUSTRIA, WHEN THERE WAS BAD WEATHER AHEAD AND ALL PLANES WERE RECALLED. THREE PLANES FAILED TO RETURN, TWO SHOWED UP LATER, HIS PLANE WAS NEVER FOUND. HE WAS MISSING IN ACTION AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSUMES THE PLANE WAS LOST IN THE ADRIATIC SEA. AFTER ONE YEAR, HE WAS PRESUMED DEAD, ON DECEMBER 10, 1945. HE RECEIVED THE PURPLE HEART AND AN AIR MEDAL.