S/Sgt. Alfred P. Pavlu. After enlistment on 18 March 1942, Alfred trained as an airplane mechanic at Wichita Falls, TX. Following specialized classes at the B-25 school at Inglewood, CA, he attended gunnery school at Panama City, FL.. Sent to the Pacific Theater in November 1943, he was assigned to the 22nd Bomb Group, 19th Squadron, then based in Nadzab, Papua, New Guinea. Alfred flew his first combat mission, as flight engineer and tail gunner, on 20 March 1944 by which time the Group had transitioned to B-24s. The target was Tadji Airdrome, a major Japanese staging and dispersal area at Wewak on the island's north shore. His 46th and final mission was a strike on Tainan, Formosa. S/Sgt. Pavlu's most memorable mission was the Group's first strike on Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Flying from Anquar, 23 Red Raider B-24s , with P-47 cover, made the history making flight on 22 December 1944. Alfred flew as waist gunner in the lead Liberator piloted by Group Commander, Col. Richard Robinson. According to the 19th Sqd. Records: "Attacking from 11,800 to 12,000 feet, our planes blasted the target area with 1449x20- lb. free-falling fragmentation bombs. At least 7 Jap planes were destroyed on the ground and more damaged. Because of many fires and smoke, a true estimate of damage could not be made. Other fires in the target area indicated that oil storage tanks were it along with gasoline and supply installations." In his diary Alfred wrote: "What a fire we started!!! Japanese Plane Special!!"