Gathered around their map of the target in from of their Flying Fortress, “Button Nose,” are, front, left to right: T/Sgt. Alfred I. Haugen, top turret gunner, New Ulm, Minnesota; Lt. C.J. Robertson, navigator, Chicago, Illinois; S/Sgt. T.G. Bowser, tail gunner, Youngstown, Ohio; Lt. Charles W. Nevious, bombardier, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; T/Sgt. Melvin Samuels, radio operator, Kingston, New York; and S/Sgt. William A. Karcher, ball turret gunner, Sanbornville, New Hampshire. Rear, left to right: S/Sgt. Henry Harris, left waist gunner, Mt. Airy, North Carolina; Lt. W.A. Schobert, pilot, Owensville, Ohio; Lt. T.E. Bernicle, command pilot, Framingham, Massachusetts; and S/Sgt. E.G. Graybill, waist gunner, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Button Nose” was a Boeing B-17G, serial number 43-37704, assigned to the 535th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group, 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force. This aircraft was lost on August 8,1944 during a ground support mission to Cauvicourt,France. She was damaged by AAA and set on fire, crash-landing near the British lines close to Caen. The entire crew returned to base at Ridgewell, England safely the next day.

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