Ralph Lester Coulson was born on March 23, 1923 in Arkansas City, Kansas. He served in the 723rd Bomber Squadron, 450th Bomber Group, Heavy, 15th Air Force in Italy. He was the Lef tWaist Gunner on B-24G “Maiden America” #42-78356 during World War II.

On December 25, 1944, after a raid against a supply depot in Innsbruck, Austria, "Maiden America" was on its way back, severely damaged after being hit by flak over the target. With two engines on fire pilot 1st Lt Vincent F. Fagan tried to reach the airport in Basel, Switzerland. Due to fog the crew headed for the airfield in Duebendorf, a town near Zurich. In the Wuerenlingen area Swiss flak – for unknown reasons - opened fire against the crippled bomber. The crew was unable the lower the landing gear and was afraid of shooting flares because gasoline was leaking out of the damaged tanks.

After the B-24 got a direct hit, pilot Fagan ordered the crew to bail out. Then he increased the power of the two remaining engines. Doing so, he avoided that the aircraft crashed right into the village. SGT Coulson didn't leave his position. He was killed when the aircraft hit the ground. He was temporarily buried in what was then the American Cemetery in Münsingen, Switzerland. He is now buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.

Source of information: http://www.450thbg.com