A little history on Denny... or I should say his father, who I believe was some of Denny's inspiration. Ray Ford, a member of the Hell's Angels (303rd Bomb Group) was a member of 1Lt Carl Fyler's crew.
Several of the Fyler crew made it to that magic 25th mission on November 29, 1943... mission #84
29 Nov 43 mission #84 to Bremen, Germany - In B-17F (With Nose Turret) #42-29498 Dark Horse (PU-O). Several of the Crewmen were on their 25th and last combat mission (Fyler, Molnar, Addison and Ford). The Fyler Crew was flying as second flight leader of the group's High Squadron. The B-17 of the High Squadron leader, 1Lt Pharis C. Brinkley, lost an engine as it was approaching the target. When Lt Brinkley was unable to keep up with the formation, he turned over the lead to his Deputy Squadron Leader. Dark Horse was hit by flak just after "Bombs Away" with the bomb bay doors still open. The right horizontal stabilizer, part of the right wing and two engines were lost. A third engine caught fire. The B-17 was also under attack by FW-190 German fighters.
The crew is most well known for the brave act of Joseph Sawicki, the plane's tail gunner during that fateful mission. Sawicki, who had lost an arm due to the flak blast, could no longer fire his guns, crawled to the waist and put parachutes on S/Sgt George C. Fisher (RWG)(POW) and Sgt Martin G. Stachowiak (LWG)(POW). Both had broken arms and were badly wounded. He then pushed them out of the B-17 waist door, hoping that they could open their parachutes with their one good arm. They became POWs. S/Sgt Fisher (RWG) was in German hospitals was repatriated on 01 October 1944. S/Sgt Sawicki was unable to exit the B-17 and died in the crash 25 Km southwest of Bremen. An attempt has been made to obtain the Medal of Honor Award for Sgt Sawicki for his Heroism on the 29 Nov 43 mission.
KIA-POW-WIA Crewmen 29 November 1943 - Nine Purple Hearts
* 1Lt Carl J. Fyler (P)(POW) - Wounds in left forearm, left thigh and on both hands
* 2Lt Robert C. Ward (CP)(POW) - Facial wounds. Lost an eye.
* 1Lt George Molnar (N)(POW) - Hit in Back.
* T/Sgt Bill Addison (E)(POW) - Hurled from his top turret tearing his leg apart.
* Lt James S. Petrolino (B)(POW) - Was the only crewmen who was not wounded. Lt's Ward, Molnar and Petrolino and T/Sgt Addison parachuted from the nose hatch followed by Lt Fyler.
* S/Sgt Ray D. Ford (BT)(KIA) - Was killed in his Ball Turret and was in the crashed B-17.
* S/Sgt Joseph R. Sawicki (TG)(KIA)
* Sgt Raymond B. O'Connell (R)(KIA) and Sgt Nellings P.S. Egge (Photo)(KIA) both were wounded. They were believed to have been killed by German civilians after they had safely parachuted to the ground.
