Lt. Harold Francis Korger was born in 1918 in Wisconsin and enlisted in the weeks following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was assigned to the 344th Bombardment Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group ("The Pyramiders"), and served as a bombardier in the B-24 Liberator. He arrived in Benghazi, Libya in July 1942 and flew combat missions over Italy. He was an experienced bombardier with 23 missions and almost 300 hours of flying time when he was hand-picked by Col John R. Kane to join him on Operation Tidal Wave. Col Kane was the Group Commander of this mission and Harold was immensely honored to be hand-picked by him. Operation Tidal Wave was a mission to attack and bomb oil refineries at Ploesti in Romania. This operation was one of the costliest for the USAAF with 53 aircraft and 550 air crewmen lost. Harold's plane did not escape the mission unscathed but thanks to the skills of Col Kane his plane safely crash-landed at a British airfield in Cyprus. Everyone survived the mission and the crash landing, which was miraculous considering there were over 150 holes in the airplane due to flak splinters and canon shells. Harold was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to his Distinguished Flying Cross for his service and valor on the mission. He had the option to leave for home early, but he opted to finish his last required mission. However, on this mission, his B-24 was attacked by German fighters, forcing Harold to bail out of the plane before it crashed. He was injured during his landing and was eventually arrested by the Italian police. He was a POW in several German and Italian prison camps for the next two years. Harold continued serving in the USAF and retired in 1971 as a Colonel. He eventually settled in Medford, Oregon with his wife and family, and died in 1995 at the age of 77.
As a WWII POW, he was part of the Stalag Luft I prison camp band led by Mike Spodar that was known to the Kriegies as the 'Round the Benders'. Around the Bend was a Kriegie term which means one that is mentally off key - the inevitable result of chronic 'barbed wire fever'. The band has been described as 'a first class outfit'. They gave the POWs many happy hours on their instruments that were provided by the YMCA. Members' names and hometowns were noted on a drawing by POW artist Don H. Ross.
Military Information: COL, US AIR FORCE
As a WWII POW, he was part of the Stalag Luft I prison camp band led by Mike Spodar that was known to the Kriegies as the 'Round the Benders'. Around the Bend was a Kriegie term which means one that is mentally off key - the inevitable result of chronic 'barbed wire fever'. The band has been described as 'a first class outfit'. They gave the POWs many happy hours on their instruments that were provided by the YMCA. Members' names and hometowns were noted on a drawing by POW artist Don H. Ross.
Military Information: COL, US AIR FORCE
Lt. Harold Francis Korger was born in 1918 in Wisconsin and enlisted in the weeks following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was assigned to the 344th Bombardment Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group ("The Pyramiders"), and served as a bombardier in the B-24 Liberator. He arrived in Benghazi, Libya in July 1942 and flew combat missions over Italy. He was an experienced bombardier with 23 missions and almost 300 hours of flying time when he was hand-picked by Col John R. Kane to join him on Operation Tidal Wave. Col Kane was the Group Commander of this mission and Harold was immensely honored to be hand-picked by him. Operation Tidal Wave was a mission to attack and bomb oil refineries at Ploesti in Romania. This operation was one of the costliest for the USAAF with 53 aircraft and 550 air crewmen lost. Harold's plane did not escape the mission unscathed but thanks to the skills of Col Kane his plane safely crash-landed at a British airfield in Cyprus. Everyone survived the mission and the crash landing, which was miraculous considering there were over 150 holes in the airplane due to flak splinters and canon shells. Harold was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to his Distinguished Flying Cross for his service and valor on the mission. He had the option to leave for home early, but he opted to finish his last required mission. However, on this mission, his B-24 was attacked by German fighters, forcing Harold to bail out of the plane before it crashed. He was injured during his landing and was eventually arrested by the Italian police. He was a POW in several German and Italian prison camps for the next two years. Harold continued serving in the USAF and retired in 1971 as a Colonel. He eventually settled in Medford, Oregon with his wife and family, and died in 1995 at the age of 77.
As a WWII POW, he was part of the Stalag Luft I prison camp band led by Mike Spodar that was known to the Kriegies as the 'Round the Benders'. Around the Bend was a Kriegie term which means one that is mentally off key - the inevitable result of chronic 'barbed wire fever'. The band has been described as 'a first class outfit'. They gave the POWs many happy hours on their instruments that were provided by the YMCA. Members' names and hometowns were noted on a drawing by POW artist Don H. Ross.
Military Information: COL, US AIR FORCE
As a WWII POW, he was part of the Stalag Luft I prison camp band led by Mike Spodar that was known to the Kriegies as the 'Round the Benders'. Around the Bend was a Kriegie term which means one that is mentally off key - the inevitable result of chronic 'barbed wire fever'. The band has been described as 'a first class outfit'. They gave the POWs many happy hours on their instruments that were provided by the YMCA. Members' names and hometowns were noted on a drawing by POW artist Don H. Ross.
Military Information: COL, US AIR FORCE
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