Memorial

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2nd Lt Charles H. Starling attended 1 year of college before he joined the Regular Army in Gardner FLD Taft, California on 15 June 1942.

2nd Lt Paul E. Gerhart:
Plane #42-31523 was flying 1-2 position in the low-left squadron. After the plane had been hit by cannon shells from enemy fighters the pilot tried to break away and head for the clouds. The #4 engine was burning and the fighters closed in. He made another break and tried to get back in formation. Then #3 engine was hit and caught fire. Two holes in the radio room showed that there was a fire inside the plane. About six feet of the right wing broke off and the plane went into a tight spin. It dropped about 2,000 feet and blew up. I saw no Parachutes. In my opinion there is very little chance that any of the crew members survived.

William H. Kelly:
My supposition is that when the front half of our plane exploded it killed or knocked out the two pilots and when the wreckage struck the ground they were surely killed. They pulled plane out of a turn spin. The strain broke it in two with the front end exploding.