Alfred R. Lea was born on February 5, 1919, in Marshfield, Wisconsin, to George A. Lea and Sara Rice Lea. He served in the 729th Bomber Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group, Heavy, as Second Lieutenant and Navigator 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.

Alfred evaded captured with the help of the Polish Army. They joined the Polish partisans as infantrymen and fought alongside them for 40 days until they were liberated by Soviet forces when the Polish regiment was overrun. After the war, Alfred returned to the United States, settling in Houston, Texas. He passed away on December 30, 2005, and is now buried in the Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery.

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com