Lorin David McCleary, Jr. was born at Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, on July 29, 1915 (not 1916 as shown on his headstone), and was raised in Indianapolis. His parents were Lorin David McCleary Sr (7 Aug 1878 – 17 Sep 1966) of Neosho, Missouri, and Margaret Anna Barbara (Courtland) McCleary (17 April 1879 – 1 Oct 1952) of Ludington, Michigan. He had three siblings: James Young McCleary (25 Jun 1912 – 21 Jun 1985), Margaret J. McCleary (3 Nov 1913 – 17 Apr 2009), and Mary McCleary (8 Oct 1922 – 5 Feb 2010). He attended public school in Indianapolis, and graduated from Arsenal Technical High School on June 11, 1931. He married Evelyn E. Hill of West Lafayette, Indiana on February 18, 1939. In 1940 he and his wife lived at 714 East 51st Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. Evelyn's mother, Grace Hill (12 Dec 1889 – Oct 1976), lived with them. In 1940 Lorin McCleary Jr worked as a salesman at his father's electrical appliance company; by 1942 he was a retail manager. Evelyn McCleary was a saleslady at a department store. Their only child, Lorin David McCleary III, was born on October 1, 1944, after his father's death.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Patterson Field in Fairfield (Dayton), Ohio on May 1, 1942, and was assigned Army serial number 15195283. By September 1942 he was called to active duty at the Army Air Forces Classification Center at Nashville, Tennessee. In Nov–Dec 1942 he completed preflight training at the Army Air Corps base at Santa Ana, California. In Jan–Mar 1943 he completed the primary phase of flight training at Hancock College of Aeronautics at Santa Maria, California, where he flew the Boeing-Stearman PT-13. His next phase, basic flight training, was at Minter Field near Bakersfield, California, where he flew the Vultee BT-13A 'Valiant' (nicknamed 'Vultee Vibrator'). He completed the final phase, advanced twin-engine flight training, at Fort Sumner Army Airfield, New Mexico, where he flew the twin-engine Cessna AT-17 'Bobcat' (nicknamed 'Bamboo Bomber'). He graduated from Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-G at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and received his wings and commission as a Second Lieutenant on July 28, 1943. His serial number changed to O-751745 at that time. From August to October 1943, he completed a transitional phase of advanced flight training in the B-17 'Flying Fortress' four-engine heavy bomber at Hobbs Army Airfield, New Mexico. On October 6, 1943 he was assigned to the 18th Replacement Wing at Kearns Army Air Base near Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Riggs Mellen.

In November 1943 the Mellen crew was assigned to the 355th Bomb Squadron of the 302nd Bomb Group, a B-24 replacement training unit at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico. In early December 1943, the Mellen crew and many other 302nd Bomb Group personnel were assigned to the newly-formed 487th Bomb Group (Heavy), and ordered to move to Bruning Army Air Field, Nebraska to begin training. By the end of December 1943, the 487th Bomb Group moved from Bruning to Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico to complete B-24 crew training.

The Mellen crew deployed with the 487th Bomb Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 42-52666 from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived at Lavenham by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After the Group arrived in England, and before the start of combat operations, Lt McCleary replaced Lt Doyle E. Simons as First Pilot of Simons' original crew in the 838th Bomb Squadron, because Simons was grounded with appendicitis.

The Group began combat operations on May 7, 1944, and 2nd Lt McCleary flew that mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Liege, Belgium. His second mission was on May 9, 1944 to bomb the Laon-Couvron Airfield in France. On his third mission, the 487th Bomb Group's target was the railroad marshalling yards at Chaumont, France. The Group assembled normally, but as fate would have it, the formation drifted eight miles south of the intended course. In attempting to return to course, the Group passed over the German airfield at Chateadun, France, where at the assigned altitude of only 12,000 feet, it encountered murderous flak. Lt McCleary's aircraft, B-24H 42-52444, was hit by flak and quickly began to burn and disintegrate. A direct hit in the nose and flight deck killed many crew members instantly. The aircraft crashed three kilometers east of Varize, France, near Bazoches-en-Dunois. Lt McCleary and eight of his crewmates were lost and declared missing in action. Lt McCleary was in MIA status until September 5, 1944, when "evidence considered sufficient to establish the fact of death was received by the Secretary of War from the German Government through the International Red Cross." One man, Staff Sergeant Harold E. Owens, survived. He wrote: "At approximately 1145 we were hit by flak in the nose, which resulted in the death of Lt Victor Kramer, navigator, Sgt Paul Churm, top turret gunner, and S/Sgt Eugene McKee, radio operator. The plane immediately burst into flames, we were flying at an altitude of approximately 11,000 feet, a few seconds later the plane started into a dive, and exploded in mid air, with the result that I was blown clear of the plane. I managed to pull my ripcord and landed eight miles north of Chateaudun, France. I made a safe landing and at a distance of one quarter of a mile I saw the plane completely wrecked and on fire. I was the only member of the crew who parachuted to safety. I did not go near the plane because I knew the bombs had not exploded. I hid in the woods and about five minutes later the bombs exploded."

The bodies of Lt McCleary and eight of his crewmates were recovered by German troops, who buried them at the Grand Cimetiθre in Orleans, France. In April 1945 Lt McCleary's remains were exhumed by U.S. Army personnel, and the identity confirmed. His remains were then reinterred at the U.S. Military Cemetery-Solers at Melun, France in Plot F, Row 9, Grave 166. In 1948, at the request of his father, Lorin D. McCleary Sr, military personnel exhumed and returned Lt McCleary's remains for burial at the National Cemetery in New Albany, Indiana.

B-24H 42-52444 crew:
• McCleary, Lorin D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• McCoy, Ernest E – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Kramer, Victor S – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Perry, Joseph D – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Owens, Harold E – S/Sgt – Engineer – POW
• McKee, Eugene – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Frey, Arthur C – Sgt – Nose Turret – KIA
• Churm, Paul K – Sgt – Top Turret – KIA
• Barboza, Clemente M – Sgt – Ball Turret – KIA
• Knapp, Dale L – Sgt – Tail Turret – KIA

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com