Burt Vardeman
WWII | 824th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force
Drafted out of high school in 1943, Burt Vardeman went to basic with the Army Air Corps. He scored high on radio aptitude and trained as a radio operator on a B-24 crew. Flying out of Italy, he had a close call when one engine after another failed on the return flight. The order came from the pilot, prepare to bail out! (6:20)