Memorial

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Statement from 1st Lt Dominic D. Zemeikis:
"A/C hit in #2 engine by flak over target. A/C remained in formation a short time and then peeled off under control. Nine to ten chutes observed. A/C went into a spin and blew up just above the top of the clouds. 1st Lt Mark L. Golden bailed out over target area, near Misburg, Germany.

Statement from Alvin Long, Navigator:
"On the morning of June 18, Mark took off on what was to be our seventh mission...On approaching our target, we were hit by flak in the nose of our ship. Mark managed to keep our ship in formation, however, enabling McColgan, the bombardier, to drop our bombs... Immediately after bombs away, we were hit again in the open bomb bay, injuring our radio operator and starting a fire in the radio room. A few seconds later, we received our third direct hit, in the number two engine... Mark gave orders to fight the fire with extinguishers, but then, seeing this was to no avail, gave the order... to bail out. The engineer went out the nose first, McColgan followed, and I followed him. On the ground, the Germans picked us up and put us in solitary. I never saw Mark after I left the ship, but I have always had hopes that he had just evaded capture."