S/Sgt. Maurice M. Possley, hometown Erie, Illinois, pictured with his 50-caliber machine gun. After enlistment in the Army Air Corps on 14 April 1942 he was trained as a Radioman/Gunner. Nicknamed "Poss" by his crewmates, Maurice had a total of 485 hours of flight time, 188 of those being combat missions to Wewak, Hollandia, Biak, Ceram, Celebes, Halmaheras, and the Philippines. In a letter to his parents, Maurice told them not to worry and assured them that he would be home for Christmas in 1944. It was not to be. Fate intervened. On 1 September 1944 he failed to return from the first major day light attack by the 5th Air Force a strike to the Philippines, a strike on the Matina airstrip near Davao, Mindanao. It was his 26th combat mission.