Elmer J. Pruitt Jr. was born on April 30, 1925. He served in the 20th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Tail Gunner of B-17 #42-31473 nicknamed 'My Baby' during World War II.

On August 29, 1944, during Mission 263, the Air Battle over the White Carpathians, the 15th U.S. Air Force launched a bombing raid from Italy against the Moravská Ostrava industrial complex in occupied Czechoslovakia. The formation met fierce resistance from German fighters and flak, and the 20th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group, lost all eight of its B-17s. Among them was B-17G “My Baby” (42-31473), a veteran bomber originally from the 99th Bomb Group. On its 95th mission, the aircraft was shot down by enemy fighters and crashed near Nová Bošáca, Slovakia. Of the ten crew members, five were killed in action, the co-pilot succumbed to his wounds four days later, and four others survived but were taken prisoner.

Sgt Pruitt was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Newman Cemetery, Newman, Douglas County, Illinois, USA.

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