His day started at 3 a.m. for a bombing mission over Budapest.
Robert Geisert, then a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, readied his crew, ate a quick breakfast, and took his place behind the controls of a B-24 bomber. July 14, 1944, was to be his 19th mission, his second mission with that crew. It would be their last.
Not far from the target zone, an engine on the bomber “Our Lady” caught fire, and Mr. Geisert made the decision to pull off from the 449th Bomber Group and head back to their base in Grottaglia, Italy. A trail of smoke from the plane caught the attention of the Luftwaffe and drew fire from “10 or 12” German fighters, causing the plane carrying 10 Americans to explode.
A hole ripped through the passenger side of the already tattered plane. The co-pilot, Lt. Howard White, looked at Mr. Geisert who nodded, and then bailed.
“I crawled across the console and across his seat and I went out the hole,” said Mr. Geisert, now 93, of Oregon.
With the plane downed in enemy territory near Velence, Hungary, its entire crew was declared missing in action.
“The secretary of war desires me to express his deep regret that your husband, Second Lieutenant Robert C. Geisert, has been reported missing in action since 14 July over Hungary. If further details or other information are received you will be promptly notified,” read the July 27, 1944, telegram to Mr. Geisert’s wife, Dorothy.
Mr. Geisert’s belongings were packed up at the
Article source: http://www.norwalkreflector.com/article/7045101
