Harry A. Braswell born November 25, 1921 in Marion, SC. Was enrolled as a cadet at Clemson Military College in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps with the desire to be a pilot. He was certified as a navigator and after extensive schooling was sent overseas to Kimbolton Field in England. While he flew many training missions, he only flew approximately 10-11 bombing missions over Germany as he was injured during one mission. The nose gunner was heavily injured due to either flak or bullets and while administering first aid, their plane was heavily attacked. The nose gun fell off the stand onto Harry's face as he lay prostate on top of the gunner to shield him. This heavy gun crushed the left side of his face and his sinuses. Although he had surgery upon return to England and was sent up two or 3 more times, under the non-pressurized state of the cabin his sinuses would swell. Doctors finally advised that he be sent stateside for further surgery. He never knew what happened to the rest of his crew until the 50 year reunion of the 379th bomb group.



Prior to this injury his plane crashed landed upon landing at Kimbolton, pictures are on this site (check under Pilots Denny and Ryland). The ground crew had not cleared the field and they hit a fully loaded B-17 that had not taken off that morning. He was twice blessed and had angels riding on his shoulders. He spent remaining time in the Air Corp having surgeries and then teaching navagation classes at Ellington Field near Houston. After mustering out, he returned to Clemson and graduated with his degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was called up for the Korean War, however, upon hearing that he had not received a medical discharge from WWII the examining physican declined him for the Korean war based on his injuries.



This was my dad - he never talked about the war until after he found his pilot and co-pilot after the 50 year reunion. He always wondered if they made it home.