Hershell L. Wise was born on September 20, 1920. He served in the 729th Bomb Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Waist Gunner 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. The remaining crew members, however, avoided capture and joined up with the Polish guerrilla unit "34th PP AK Zenon," an Armia Krajowa (AK) resistance group, where they continued to fight against German forces. SSgt Wise died on May 2, 1996, and is now buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA.

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com