The Collected Works of George K. McFall Sr.

George McFall was born on a farm outside of Platteville on February 2, 1921. He volunteered for the Army Air Corps on December 30, 1941 with the dream of learning to fly. He was assigned as a B-17 pilot. George was pilot of the B-17 "Heaven Can Wait" and was on a bombing raid over Brunswick, Germany on March 23, 1944 when his bomber formation was separated from their fighter plane escort and fell prey to German fighter pilots. His plane was hit by enemy fire and he was forced to make an emergency landing in a cabbage patch near Oldenburg. He and his crew were taken prisoners and were sent to Stalag Luft III near Sagan, Poland. On January, 28, 1945, Russian troops were getting close to the camp and the Germans forced the Allied prisoners to march through the snow to the railway station at Spremburg. They arrived at the station on February 3 and then were taken to Stalag VIIA in Moosberg, Germany. On April 29, 1945, General Patton's army liberated the P.O.W. camp and Lt. McFall. He married his sweetheart, Elaine Bride, on June 25, 1946. He worked as a metallurgist for 34 years while helping to raise six children.