78th FG, 84th FS: On 3rd February 1945 Lt Stier, from West Bend, Wisconsin, was involved in supporting a mission to Berlin and then went down to strafe Luneburg airfield. After shooting up two enemy aircraft he flew his crippled and almost tail-less Mustang 450 miles across enemy territory and the North Sea, and landed safely back at Duxford in an exhibition of flying skill which won him the praise of other pilots. “Just after setting the second plane on fire,” Lt. Stier said, “I felt a jar which shook the stick from my hand. My wing scraped a tree, but I managed to pull up. I looked back and saw the main spar of the tail sticking up with jagged pieces of metal behind it.” The Lt could not see the full damage from his seat. Practically the entire rudder had been blown off by a direct hit from a 20 mm shell. He prepared to bail out, but heard the voice of another pilot reassuring him over the radio. In reply to his question about damage, the other pilot said, “Get home! Get home!” The two hour and fifteen minute flight to England was a series of corkscrews through the air, with the plane trying to fall off on the left wing, and Lt. Stier battling to keep it on an even keel. When he arrived over Duxford, his squadron commander gave him a choice of bailing out or attempting a landing. He elected to fly the plane. By his decision, he saved a valuable fighter which is now flying over Germany again.’