Alvin Lee Raines was born on December 12, 1924. He is the son of John P. Raines of Ferguson, Missouri. Staff Sergeant Raines was the gunner of the B-24 Liberator “Flak Finder” which took off from the southern Italian town of Torretta at 0630 on the 27th of May, 1944, to flatten the German bombers stationed at Salon-de-Provence. At 1000, the “Flak Finder” lived up to its name, taking a direct hit in its right wing and forcing the crew to bail out at the summit of the Pic de l'Aiglo, between Thorenc and Le Mas. He was captured by the Germans. He was captured in the vicinity of Cipieres (60) and sent to Stalag Luft 4 in Gross Tychow as a POW.

SSgt Raines died on August 5, 2000 at the age of 75 and is now buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA.