Orian George Owens was born on January 22, 1915, in Mechanicsville, Cedar County, Iowa. He served in the 368th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Turret Gunner of B-17 #42-30782 “Rationed Passion” during World War II. On January 11, 1944, during a mission over Halberstadt, his plane was shot down. Surviving the crash, TSgt Owens evaded capture with the help of local resistance fighters, who provided shelter and assistance as he awaited the opportunity to escape back to England.

Unfortunately, the safety of TSgt Owens and seven other American airmen was compromised after a betrayal by local collaborators. They were captured by German forces, along with two members of the Belgian resistance who had been aiding them. The Belgian resistance members were deported to camps in Germany, where they later died. On April 22, 1944, TSgt Owens and the other airmen were taken to a wooded area near Chimay, where they were executed by German troops and buried in a mass grave.

After the war, those responsible for the massacre were prosecuted by Belgian authorities. TSgt Owens is now buried in the Lisbon Cemetery, Lisbon, Linn County, Iowa, USA. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Air Medal, and Oak Leaf Cluster in recognition of his bravery and sacrifice.