S/Sgt. Elmer Curtis Hardy

Parents: Harry J. Hardy & Antonie Adamik-Hardy

Siblings: 2 brothers

Hometown:

    - 1542 North Thirty-Sixth Avenue - Melrose Park, Illinois

Education:

    - Grant Grade School

    - Proviso Township High School

        - Graduating Class: 1941

Occupation: worked as mechanic in machine shop

Enlisted:

    - 8 September 1942

        - U.S. Army Air Corps

Serial Number: 16081869

Training: 

    - Shepherd Field, Texas

        - basic training

        - graduated: 1 December 1942

    - Keisler Field, Mississippi

        - graduated: 20 March 1943

            - mechanic

    - Laredo Field, Texas

        - Gunnery School

            - Graduated: 18 June 1943

            - nose gunner

    - Pueblo, Colorado

        - combat training

        - left United States - 15 January 1944

Unit: 578th Bomb Squadron, 392nd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force

Engagements:

    - 27 missions over Europe as member of B24 Bomber crew

Killed in Action:

    - 23 June 1944 - bombing mission over Leon, France

        - Plane hit by flak - went down in a turning dive. Two engines knocked out.

        - Plane burst into flames before hitting ground at 7:54 pm - 5 kilometers south/southeast of Leon.

        - According to the official German version, Elmer was recovered from plane dead - buried at Liesse

          Municipal Cemetery in grave 43 on June 25th.

        - According to to one crew member, he saw Elmer's body wrapped in his parachute at German

          Headquarters, it appeared there were bullet holes in the left side of his head.

Buried:

     - 10 November 1948 - Woodlawn Cemetery - Forest Park, Illinois

Medals:

     - Air Medal - awarded by Lieutenant General Jimmy Doolittle

        - 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

        - Purple Heart

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