Rae Carey’s initial B-17 Flying Fortress aircrew pose for a photo at Thurleigh Airfield, England in 1944: (front row, left to right) 1st Lt. Dean Allen, pilot; 1st Lt. Charles Rapp Jr., copilot; 2nd Lt. Charles Donahue, navigator; 1st Lt. Michael Vlahos, bombardier; (back row, left to right) Tech. Sgt. Harvey Purkey, engineer and top turret gunner; Tech. Sgt. Robert Newsbigle, radio operator; Staff Sgt. Eugene LeVeque, ball turret gunner; Staff Sgt. Richard Huebotter, waist gunner; Staff Sgt. Charles Reinartsen, waist gunner; and Staff Sgt. James “Rae” Carey, tail gunner. Carey would fly 26 combat missions before being shot down Aug. 26, 1944, during a bombing mission to Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Courtesy photo by Master Sgt. Matthew Carey)