Howard Hutchinson Ganson Jr. was born on January 24, 1922, in Buffalo, Erie County, New York. He was the son of Howard Hutchinson Ganson and Dorothy Stevens Decker Ganson. He was married to Wanda Gould "Bunky" Baker Lemmon. He attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, and later graduated in 1948 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He enlisted in the United States Army on October 9, 1942. He served in the 427th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Bombardier of the B-17 42-31060 'Pogue Ma Hone' during World War II.

On February 9, 1945, during Mission 313, two B-17 bombers from the 427th Bomb Squadron collided in mid-air over Lutzkendorf, Germany. B-17G #42-31060 "Pogue Ma Hone," piloted by 1Lt Alfred K. Nemer, was hit by flak, causing its right wing to strike the tail of B-17G #43-39149, piloted by 2Lt Robert J. Barrat. Barrat's plane broke apart, while Nemer’s B-17 descended 10,000 feet but remained somewhat under control despite two damaged engines. Unable to return to England, the crew aimed for Russian lines. After facing ice buildup, the crew bailed out over Jaraczewo, Poland. Three crew members were rescued by Russian troops, one was captured by the Germans, and the rest were killed in action.

TSgt Ganson successfully bailed out and was later returned to duty. Some records list him as a prisoner of war in Germany. He was discharged on October 5, 1945, and worked for Far West Investment Company. He died on November 15, 1977, and is now buried in the Willamette National Cemetery, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.303rdbg.com