Army Air Corps B-17 pilot William Massey. Courtesy of Jeffrey Rease
This is William Massey, who piloted a B-17 plane during World War II. Massey survived having his plane shot down in 1944.
Massey was a pilot of a 10-person crew on a B-17 bomber plane when it was shot down on one of their missions.
He told Rease the plane exploded and he was blown out from the door of the plane, leaving him hanging onto a parachute in one hand at 26,000 feet in the air. Massey was able to connect his parachute to a loop on his clothing, and he landed in a pasture in France.
We honor you, William Massey.