Memorial

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S/Sgt Kenneth O. Garrett attended Grundy High School.

Richard W. Bridges, pilot of the first 66th Squadron plane recalled the mission:
"Our aircraft, which had been temporarily assigned to me… was identified as 811 K, and had two engines (the inboards), which were using so much oil that the Squadron Engineering officer had grounded it. I persuaded him to release it for any mission briefed not to exceed ten hours. As the Group started its second climb somewhere over northern Italy or Yugoslavia, my aircraft suffered a sudden and severe loss of power on the two inboard engines. From that time on, I was unable to achieve power settings of more than 18 to 20 inches from those two engines. We saw the Group climb away from us, but continued on below them and ahead, because we were flying faster, straight and level, while the others were climbing.
Finally, the Group leveled off at the briefed bombing altitude, and I was able to nurse 811 K back into its proper spot in the formation, which was #2 on the element leader of the third element. On the bomb run, as a pilot, I was mainly concerned with maintaining formation and I did not see very much of what was going on except to realize that the flak was very heavy and accurate.

"Shortly after bombs away I just happened to look up at about 2 o´clock high, in time to see four ME 109s diving on us. I decided later that they had already finished shooting when I saw them. In any event, I believe it was this fighter attack which knocked out the two inboard engines and started a fire in the bomb bay.

"We had two 425 gallon spare fuel tanks (Tokyo tanks) in the forward bomb bay, so this fire in the bomb bay left no alternative for us — we bailed out. All but three of the crew successfully bailed out. The tail gunner, Mercer, and the well gunner, Garrett, were killed in the aircraft, probably by the fighter attacks. These two men were replacements for my regular crewmen, Sgt Rice and Sgt Abrams, who had been grounded due to illness."