George Henry Pendarvis was born at Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana on November 14, 1921. His parents were Sylvester Claudius 'Tat' Pendarvis (23 May 1893 – 19 Nov 1965), who was born at Houston, Texas; and Helen E. (Babington) Pendarvis (17 Oct 1899 – 24 Jul 1931), who was born at New Orleans, Louisiana. By 1917 his father lived at Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, where he was a farmer and dairyman. His parents married at Hammond, Louisiana on December 22, 1920.

He had a brother, James Babington 'Jimmy' Pendarvis (23 Jun 1923 – 14 May 1942); and a sister, Margaret Mary (Pendarvis) Falconer (1928 – 2015). His mother died at New Orleans, Louisiana on July 24, 1931. By 1935 his father moved the family to Houston, Harris County, Texas.

He completed two years of Catholic seminary training at Assumption College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but decided not to complete the course. He registered for the draft at Detroit, Michigan on February 16, 1942. At that time he was 5 feet, 10 1/2 inches tall, weighed 155 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Houston, Texas on February 17, 1943. His home of record was 1910 Walker Avenue, Houston, Texas. In 1945 his father's address was 615 Center Street, New Iberia, Iberia Parish, Louisiana.

He completed Army Air Forces pilot training at Blackland Army Air Field, Waco, Texas in Class 44-F, and was appointed a Flight Officer in June 1944. He was then assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Daniel C. Smoke Jr. The Smoke crew completed B-17 operational training at Biloxi, Mississippi, and was sent to Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia, where they were assigned a new B-17 for the deployment to England. They were assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived at Station 137 by February 26, 1945, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

On March 19, 1945, the 487th Bomb Group dispatched thirty aircraft to bomb a communications center at Zwickau, Germany. The Smoke crew flew B-17G 43-38038 on this mission. Because of poor weather over England, the Group assembled into formation over A-71, an Allied advanced landing ground near Clastres in northeastern France. F/O Pendarvis and his eight crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft collided with Lt John R. Virgin's B-17G 43-37969 'Beverly Jean' during formation assembly. All of Lt Virgin's crew bailed out and survived, but none of Lt Smoke's crew was able to bail out. F/O Pendarvis and his crewmates perished in the subsequent crash of their aircraft near Couvron, France.

The dead were buried initially at the temporary U.S. Military Cemetery Champigneul #1 near Chalons-sur-Marne, France. (Chalons-sur-Marne was renamed Chβlons-en-Champagne in 1998.) After the war, F/O Pendarvis' remains were reinterred at Epinal American Cemetery in France.

B-17G 43-38038 crew:
• Smoke Jr, Daniel C – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Pendarvis, George H – F/O – Copilot – KIA
• Olsen, Gunnar K – F/O – Navigator – KIA
• Strong, John H – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• White Jr, John – Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Stone, Harold J – Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Sala, David W – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Koepsell, Elmer E – Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Burres, Richard E – Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA

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