"Two days after I arrived at Army basic training, I was nicknamed 'Brigham' [a reference to LDS Church leader Brigham Young because of Nelson's Mormonism and its church dietary restrictions of tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea and illegal drugs]. My Army training had taught me chain of command. Two weeks after I arrived at basic, I locked horns with my mess sergeant. He didn't want to serve anything but coffee at breakfast and, when the smoke cleared, the mess sergeant was instructed to serve water, coffee and one other drink at every meal. On with the Army." --Keith Raymond Nelson



Pfc. Nelson was probably assigned after September 1943 to U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF), “The Mighty” 8th Air Force (AF), 3rd Bombardment Division, 93rd Combat Bombardment Wing (CBW), 358th Combat Crew Training Station, 34th Bombardment Group (Heavy) (BG) at Blythe Army Air Field (AAFld) at Blythe, Calif. He served and trained as a Consolidated Aircraft Corp. B-24 “Liberator” bombardment aircraft crew member, and probably as a ball-turret gunner (Airplane Armorer-Gunner Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) 612).



Pfc. Nelson was assigned on about April 26, 1944, to Gowen AAFld at Boise, Idaho. He served and trained as a bombardment aircraft ball-turret gunner (Airplane Armorer-Gunner MOS 612). His subsequent assignments were in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). The 34th BG was assigned aircraft before Aug. 24, 1944, including B-24H and B-24J bombardment aircraft, which were flown for 62 missions, and, after Sept. 17, 1944, including B-17G aircraft which were flown for 108 missions.



Pfc. Nelson was promoted to serve as a corporal before Nov. 7, 1944. He was again assigned before Dec. 24, 1944, with the 391st BS at Station (Sta) number 156 identification code "MZ" at Wetheringsett near Mendlesham, Suffolk County, England. He commenced his overseas movement by the R.M.S. Queen Mary. He served as a bombardment aircraft toglier (Enlisted Bombardier MOS 509) on at least two of 66 bombardment and four of six food missions.



After the war in Europe ended, Cpl. Nelson was promoted to serve as a staff sergeant. He was photographed between May 7 and Aug. 6, 1945, probably during his R-and-R leave in his staff-sergeant dress uniform at Cine Studios, 11 Shaftsbury Avenue, London 1, England. He concluded his overseas movement by the R.M.S. Queen Elizabeth.