Memorial

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One survivor, S/Sgt Raymond Jasinkski, gave a detailed account of his crew's downing: "While approaching the target, I was throwing out chaff; a few minutes later "bombs away" was given, and a few seconds later we entered a haze (clouds, etc.) Approximately 2 minutes later we came out of the haze and "enemy fighters" was called out. I then went to man my gun at which time we had the first enemy attacks. On this attack S/Sgt Hiatt H. Kearns, the Left Waist Gunner, was hit in the stomach by enemy 20mm (cannon) fire, tearing a hole in his stomach about the size of a man's fist. All of the crewmembers wore flak suits but S/Sgt Kearns did not button the bottom three buttons of his flak apron. When he stood up to man his gun, the apron fell away as he was hit. During this first attack, the only other person that I saw the Tail Gunner S/Sgt Harold L. Krause, how had his back to me but was manning his gun. At this time fire broke out at both bomb bays and the command deck. The Radio Operator T/Sgt Paul W. Haney was talking over the interphone to the Pilot, 1st Lt Eugene L. Comeau Jr, and started to say "There is a fire" when he stopped. It is my belief he may have been hit by enemy fire. About this time the enemy fighters were beginning a second run and the Pilot gave the word out "this is it, fellows - bail out". I waited until the Tail Gunner, S/Sgt John C. Pendergraft, got back and held the escape hatch open, and bailed out first. I did not see anyone else bail out after me and do not recall having seen any parachutes dropping while I was descending. To the best of my knowledge, when I bailed out, the airplane seemed to be on fire from aft of the bomb bays to as far as I could see forward. I did not see our plane crash nor explode in the air..".