Memorial

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David Dunmire worked in an aircraft factory.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Baltimore, Maryland, on 3 September 1942.

Statement of 2nd Lt James W. Mc Cormack, who flew in the same mission: "On the mission of February 22nd, Lt Dunmire was flying No. 3 and I was flying No. 4, in 368th white flight. A little past the Zuider Zee, Lt Dunmire called and said that his engine was cutting out and that he wanted to return to base. He took me with him, and after we dropped down to about 10,000 feet, he said his engine was alright and for us to join up again with the squadron, which we did. After we had just joined up, Lt Dunmire saw a loco downstairs and signaled for me to follow him, and we went down and strafed the loco. After pulling up and flying a few minutes, we stumbled onto an airfield, where they hit us with everything they had. Lt Dunmire's right wing was shot up badly, and so was his tail surfaces. Also, a big hole was in the left wing next to the cockpit. He also believed that he was hit in the engine. He asked me to climb up and get a fix as he couldn't gain altitude. I did, and in the process of going up to 20,000 feet, I lost sight of him. We had radio contact, and I told him to fly a heading while I got a fix. Roselee fixed me and gave me a steer to friendly territory. I relayed this to Lt. Dunmire, and he flew it. This heading took us across Düsseldorf, where he was hit once more with flak. All this time, he didn´t have but 500 feet of altitude or thereabouts. The last I heard from him was after he crossed the Rhine and was about ten minutes flying from friendly territory. He said that he was hit in the coolant and that there was smoke in the cockpit."