Amos Turnage “A. T.” Bunch Jr. was born on January 1, 1922, in Lafayette County, Mississippi. He was the son of Amos Turnage Bunch and Carrie Clyde McElroy Bunch. He was married to Wilma Coffey Bunch. Amos served in the 749th Bomb Squadron, 457th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Waist Gunner of B-17 (42-97537) known as "Chicken Ship" during World War II.

On April 9, 1944, during a mission targeting Marienburg (now Malbork, Poland), the plane encountered heavy enemy resistance. After taking flak damage over the target area, "Chicken Ship" lost engine power and fell behind its formation. Three German Focke-Wulf FW 190 fighters attacked, striking the aircraft and forcing the crew to abandon it. All of the crew parachuted safely and became POWs except Flight Engineer Fasone who was instantly killed. Bunch sustained an upper leg injury from shrapnel, underwent surgery in a German hospital, and spent 13 months as a prisoner of war at at Stalag 17B in Braunau-Gneikendorf near Krems, Austria, 48-15.

After the war, he had a distinguished career as a farmer and cattleman, earning local recognition as Farmer and Cattleman of the Year. He also dedicated his time to the community, serving in multiple roles, including 15 years on the Oxford Municipal School District board, 10 years with the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, and as a deacon at Clear Creek Baptist Church. TSgt Bunch died on September 3, 2008, and is now buried in the Clear Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi, USA.

Source of information: b17flyingfortress.de, www.findagrave.com