World War II Honoree

George M. Nelson, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Goldfield, Iowa

Honored By

Jerry Penry

RANK: 2ND LIEUTENANT. SERVED AS A B-17G ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER COPILOT, WHO WAS KILLED AUGUST 5, 1944 WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A MID-AIR COLLISION WITH ANOTHER ‘FLYING FORTRESS’. A GROUP OF EIGHTEEN B-17’S OUT OF THE SIOUX CITY, IOWA ARMY AIR FIELD WERE ON A FORMATION FLIGHT-TRAINING MISSION WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. WHILE CONDUCTING A NORMAL TURN THAT INVOLVED THE ENTIRE 18-SHIP FORMATION, TWO OF THE BOMBERS COLLIDED. BOTH PLANES OUT OF CONTROL CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF LAUREL, NEBRASKA FATALLY INJURING SEVENTEEN CREWMEMBERS, WITH ONE PILOT PARACHUTING TO SAFETY.