CARLO J. BURDI

531st Squadron, Sears' Crew

After returning from the war, Carlo Burdi worked in his soon-to-be wife Nettie's family's grocery market in Brooklyn. He and Nettie were married shortly thereafter in Brooklyn. They raised two daughters, Joanne and Gail. He then took a job with the NYC Parks Department. Carlo & Nettie have two grandchildren, Vincent & Joseph, and a great-grandson Carlo on the way.

Since retiring from the Parks Department, Carlo enjoys doing construction jobs in his house, working on his car, and spending time with his family. He is looking forward to attending the reunion in November 2008.

LOUIS N. LANNERS, JR.

529th Squadron, Flight Engineer, Kroes' Crew

1940		Texas, January 2008
2005 Reunion, San Diego CA		2006 Reunion, Washington DC

Louis Lanners joined the Army Air Corp in 1940 in Amarillo, Texas. He was sent to Mountain Home, Idaho, to the 380th Bomb Group in 1944, where he was trained on the B-24. After training, he operated out of the Philippines and was sent to bomb various places, such as China, Japan and Borneo. On the way to Okinawa, it was announced that the war was over.

Louis lives in Texas, with his wife of 64 years, Irene. They are both 90 years old.

HORACE P. EISENHARD

531st Squadron, Gunner, Cook's and Koller's Crews

Horace was drafted into the Army as a Private on 8 December 1942. After he was inducted at New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, he was ordered to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, for basic training and was then assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division. After a 15-day furlough in June 1943, during which his daughter Gloria Jean was born, Horace reported in at Fort Custer, Michigan, for a short while before being transferred to Boca Raton, Florida, where he drove refueling trucks for C-47, B-24, and B-17 aircraft. He then was reassigned to Scott Field in Illinois, where he attended Radio Operator School. On 14 September 1944, he was transferred to Harlington, Texas, for five weeks for Aerial Gunnery School, and then to March Field near Riverside, California, for crew training on the B-24 "Liberator" Heavy Bomber as a Turret Gunner until February 1945. His next assignment was at Hamilton Field near San Francisco, California, where he was assigned to an air crew and ordered to deliver his airplane to the Far East Air Forces (later re-designated 5th Air Force) Combat and Training Center on Berokoe Drome, Biak, a small island near the northern coast of Papua, Indonesia. From there Horace flew B-24 bombing missions as a Lower Ball Gunner in the 531st Squadron, 380th Bombardment Group ("The Flying Circus"), bombing oil fields on Borneo, and later from Mindoro in the Philippines to bomb targets on Formosa. The 380th distinguished itself by flying 10-12 hour missions - the longest bombing missions of the war. Horace served in the Pacific Theater from 18 April 1945 until 9 October 1945, when he returned to the States for separation at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, on 21 October 1945. He was discharged there as a Staff Sergeant and was awarded the Air Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal (w/5 bronze stars), and the Philippine Liberation Medal.

Koller Crew

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Last updated:  07/08/2012 08:31 PM