SSgt Gene Eisele, USAAF
Gene Eisele, now deceased, was the father of one of my friends-- Jim Eisele.
Mr. Eisele related the following story to Jim several years ago. It is brief, for these were modest heroes who didn't think they performed any great deeds during WW2. SSgt Gene Eisels, US Army Air Corps, was a lower ball turret gunner on a B17 Bomber Aircraft nick-named "The Lady Helen" and flew 52 missions -- a lot for a ball turret gunner.
"The Lady Helen" B17 Bomber
It was lady luck that played a key role in sergeant Eisele's life on 25 February 1944. He was assigned to special ground duty on that day and was not on board for that day's mission. "The Lady Helen" was reported missing over Austria and never did return, being reported as lost in action.
Crew of "The Lady Helen"
Crew list for last mission
On an earlier mission some bombs got jammed in the bomb bay and had to be freed up before the plane could land. SSgt Eisele was the crew member who walked down the plank catwalk with the bomb bay doors open and released the bombs.