Leonard Fischler entered the military service in New York. He served as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator on B-17 "Shooting Star" #42-30229, 563rd Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces that was lost in the Atlantic during WW II. After picking up new planes in the mid-west the crew eventually made their way to Buffalo. From Buffalo, they flew to Newfoundland, delayed an extra day. (Suspected break-in at the air field.) They took off on June 21, 1943 for Iceland. Instead of flying in a 3 plane formation they flew single file, take-offs about 3-10 minutes apart. Three planes, including this one never made it to Iceland. A year later, there was a finding of death. The crew appear on the Tablets of the Missing, East Coast Memorial, Manhattan, New York, USA. Supposedly, there was a 'thorough' investigation, sabotage was suspected. 2Lt Fischler was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov