John Hiram Adair was born on November 29, 1923, in Ellis County, Texas. He was the son of William Marshall Adair and Johnie Gould Adair. He joined the U.S. Army Reserves in December 1942 while studying at Texas A&M and entered active duty in June 1943. After training at Sheppard Field, Florida, Kingman Aerial Gunnery School, and Sioux City Army Air Base, he was assigned as a B-17 tail gunner. In August 1944, he deployed to Amendola Airfield in Italy with the 20th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group, Heavy,, 15th Air Force. His first three missions were with different crews, and on his fourth, he flew as the Right Waist Gunner aboard the B-17 #42-32048, nicknamed "Queen," during World War II.

On August 29, 1944, the B-17G “Queen” (42-32048) was shot down near Krhov, close to Bojkovice, during the Air Battle over the White Carpathians. Flying in the Dog 4 position on Mission 263, the bomber was struck by German fighters, caught fire, and exploded. Several crewmen tried to escape, but most were killed when their parachutes failed or ignited; only the co-pilot, Irving Thompson, survived and was captured, later held at Stalag Luft I. All aircraft of the 20th Bomber Squadron were lost, resulting in 41 airmen killed, 28 of whom were buried in a mass grave, while 4 managed to evade capture, and 55 were taken as prisoners of war.

Sgt. Adair was one of the 28 U.S. airmen laid to rest in a mass grave at Slavicin, Czechoslovakia, before being exhumed and reinterred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA.

Source of photo and information: www.leteckabitvakarpaty.cz