He inter service on Feb, 2-1943 at FT. Custer, Mich. He was 20 years old then. Had my basic training in Miami Beach Fl.  Gunnery school, Los Vegas, NV.  A M school Amarillo, TX.  Flight Engineer and crew training in Rapid City, S D., picked up a brand new B-17 in  Kerney,  N.E. We flew it to England and they took it away from us so they could get it ready for combat. Had more gunnery training at Washington then sent to the 305th. Bomb Group. Flew a few day missions and started flying nights. Then they moved his squadron to Cheddington as they were flying nights only. He flew 47 missions, got a lot of flight time as he was the check out engineer for the squadron  He was up for a field commission as a 2nd Lt. for gunnery officer, but turned it down so he  could go home. He arrived in California on his 22nd birthday 12-18-1944. He was home for Xmas and New Years and said it felt good. Was in the hospital for three months, they said he had combat fatigue after he told the DR. how many mission he had. Discharged 9-28-1945. Nobody on our crew got the Purple Heart. He had three crash landings and walked away each time, He got banged up some and he had a cracked rib once. He also flew 48 mission in a B-26 as a tail gunner in the Korean War during 1950-1951 with the 452  Bomb Group. It is certainly remarkable that he survived 2 wars and that  many mission with out being injured seriously or shot down. Mr. Stearns will be 81 on Dec 28 Mr. Stearns said "God has been with me all my life is why I'm still here. Thank You Lord."