Louis Robert Hernandez was born on May 12, 1921, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Harriet and Fred V. Hernandez. After graduating from El Paso High School in 1940, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps following the United States' entry into WWII. He served in the 729th Bomber Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group, Heavy, as Second Lieutenant and Pilot of the B-17G "BTO in the ETO" (#42-38202) during World War II.

On June 21, 1944, "BTO in the ETO" was on a mission to bomb targets in Nazi Germany. Following the successful bombing run, the aircraft encountered damage severe enough to force the crew to abandon the plane. The crew members parachuted out, landing in German-occupied Poland. Three of them—TSgt White, SSgt Cabaniss, and SSgt Shumate were captured by German forces and became prisoners of war. Louis evaded captured with the aid of the Polish underground resistance. He remained hidden for 36 days, from June 21 to July 27, 1944, eventually reaching Soviet forces who helped them return to safety in England. After the war, Louis returned to El Paso, Texas, where he pursued higher education, earning degrees in Business and Education from Texas Western College. He dedicated his career to teaching, working as a teacher and later serving as the principal of MacArthur Junior High for 21 years. He retired in 1986 and enjoyed woodworking, volunteering at the War Eagles Air Museum, and later, working as a docent at the 390th Memorial Museum in Tucson, Arizona. Louis Robert Hernandez passed away on December 12, 2013, but his current burial place is unknown.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com