World War II Honoree

Claude E. Harper

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Vienna, Illinois

Honored By

Mark Knapp

Relationship

Fellow Veteran

TECHNICAL SERGEANT. RADIO OPERATOR/WAIST GUNNER. ON THE FIRST 23 MISSIONS HE FLEW ABOARD THE SHIP 'MARY LOU' THE 24TH AND FINAL MISSION WAS FLOWN ON THE SHIP 'SHERRY'S CHERRIES' WITH THE 8TH ARMY AIR FORCE, 91ST BOMB GROUP (HEAVY), 323RD BOMB SQUADRON. ON NOVEMBER 2, 1944 THE 8TH AIR FORCE LOST 38 B-17 AIRCRAFT IN ONE OF ITS MANY MISSIONS TO MERSEBURG, GERMANY. THE 91ST BOMB GROUP WAS HIT BY AT LEAST ONE ME-163, OVER 100 FW-190 AND ME-109 AIRCRAFT. IN THE ENSUING AERIAL BATTLE, THEY LOST 6 OF 12 SHIPS FROM THE 322ND BOMB SQUADRON, 5 OF THE 12 FROM THE 323RD BOMB SQUADRON AND 2 FROM THE 401ST BOMB SQUADRON; A TOTAL OF 13 OF THE 36 CREWS OF THE 91ST WERE MISSING IN ACTION THAT DAY. HE WAS HELD POW UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR. IT WAS THIS CREW OF THE 323RD BOMB SQUADRON'S 24TH MISSION.