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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS LISTING: "A Distant Prayer: Miracles of the 49th Combat Mission"

This is about a top turret gunner. He is in the 15th Air Force, 97th Bomb Group, 340th Bomb Squadron. He is flying missions in 1944. In 1944 15th Air Force crews had to complete 50 missions to rotate home. Some of the missions were given double credit due to the distance. This book really only details two of the gunners more memorable missions. One is a mission to Ploesti in which his B-17 is severely damaged by repeated flak and aircraft hits. Several oft he crew are hit and an engine is out. The gunner helps fly the plane back and survives the crash landing. For this he gets a Distinguished Flying Cross (He earns two during his time) The other memorable mission happens to be his 49th mission. During the bombing run the aircraft ahead of theirs is severely hit. This causes the plane to loop up and over the gunners aircraft. The bombs are dropping and some of these bombs hit the gunner's aircraft. The gunner passes out and comes to in the fuselage that is tumbling to earth. There is no tail or nose. He manages to bail out and is captured. He is the only survivor. The sergeant later is forced on some marches as the Russians were approaching. A friendly German guard warns them of the SS and of the marches,. The sergeant with three other POW's make an escape. They walk at night for a few weeks and get in the middle of the retreating Germans. They end up surrendering to a British tank crew.

Europe, 1944-World War II Initially, air-service crews were required to complete twenty-five missions before returning to the United States. By the time we arrived, the number of missions had increased to fifty. The mortality rate was so high that they just couldn't bring in new crews fast enough . . . Fifty missions is an unbelievable worth calculating. This is the remarkable true story of Joseph Banks, a young Latter-day Saint and lone survivor of his plane that was shot down during a dangerous bombing run over Germany on his 49th mission-one mission away from going home. A prisoner of war, Joseph overcame impossible odds to mount a miraculous escape and return safely to his wife and young son. This inspirational story of one man's faith, prayer, and unwavering courage in the face of overwhelming adversity will change the lives of those who read it.