Earnest Tullio Carmen was born at Susanville, Lassen County, California on February 16, 1920. His friends called him Ernie. His name is recorded as Earnest T. Carmen in his military record, but his original surname was probably Carman. He is listed as Earnest D. Carman in the California Birth Index, and as Ernest Carman in the 1940 US Census. There is strong evidence that his father's surname was Carman: 1920 US Census; 1898 voter registration in Susanville, California; 1914 California marriage record; 1951 California Death Index; 1951 obituary in the Lassen Advocate, Susanville, California; and grave marker inscription.

His parents were Elbert Levi 'Bert' Carman (11 Feb 1876 – 3 Nov 1951), who was born at Sterling, Blue Earth County, Minnesota; and Clara Margaret (Starr) Kelton Carman (27 May 1878 – 12 Jan 1974), who was born at Golden City, Barton County, Missouri. Clara and her first husband, Victor Pratt Kelton, had eight children. After her divorce from Victor Kelton, Clara married Elbert Levi Carman at Lassen County, California in December 1914. Elbert and Clara Carman had sons Elbert Carman (1916 – 1974) and Earnest Carman (1920 – 1944). In 1930 the family lived at 435 North Roop Street, Susanville, Lassen County, California, and his father was a carpenter.

He graduated from Lassen Union High School at Susanville, California in 1938. He was active in his high school Dramatics Club. By 1940 his parents were divorced, and he lived with his mother at 250 McDow Street in Susanville. He registered for the draft at Susanville on October 2, 1941. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighed 179 pounds, and had brown eyes. At that time he was a lumber worker and a butcher working for the owner of the Hotel Mount Lassen in Susanville. He completed two years of college, and was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the Presidio of Monterey, California on December 9, 1941. He married Viola Mae (Brown) Carmen (abt 1921 – unk) at Jasper County, South Carolina on October 2, 1942. His wife's wartime address was Callahan, Florida.

He completed Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-J. He completed the final phase, advanced twin-engine training in the Beechcraft AT-10, at Freeman Army Air Field, Seymour, Indiana in October 1943, and received his wings and commission on November 3, 1943. His next stop was the Army Air Base at Camp Kearns near Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of 2nd Lt Everitt F. Goethe.

By December 1943 the Goethe crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field near Tucson, Arizona. On January 1, 1944, the crew was assigned to the 837th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 crew training and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 42-52743 from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England 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.

On May 20, 1944, the 487th Bomb Group took off from Lavenham Airfield to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Liege, Belgium. Lt Goethe's crew took off in B-24H 42-52743 in poor visibility due to fog. The aircraft lost its number two engine soon after takeoff, and Lt Goethe was unable to climb or maintain altitude. He attempted to return to base, but the aircraft crashed and burned in a wooded area north of Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk, England, about two miles southwest of the base. Lt Carmen and four of his crewmates were killed in the crash. One man, Sgt Ned Vukomanovich, died later that day in hospital. Four men survived.

Lt Carmen is buried at Cambridge American Cemetery near Madingley, England.

B-24H 42-52743 crew:
• Goethe, Everitt F – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Carmen, Earnest T – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Moentenich, Louis P – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Hartley, James W – 2/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Dustman, Darell M – S/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Allen, Stanley M – T/Sgt – Radio Operator – Safe
• Shackleford, James L – Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Puglia, Joseph J – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – Safe
• Vukomanovich, Ned – Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Jeffries, William – Sgt – Tail Gunner – Safe

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