Harold Eugene Gandee was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Uriah J. Gandee of Kenna, West Virginia. He was born March 3, 1921, in Kanawha, although his hometown is listed as Charleston, West Virginia. He graduated from Ripley High School and was employed by Libby-Owens Glass Company prior to entering the service. He entered the military service from Virginia on September 12, 1942. The first military record of him shows he was assigned to the Knowles crew and assigned to the 562nd Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb Group at Knettishall, England.

The crew arrived there in March 1944, and flew their first mission in B-17 # 43-30212, nicknamed "Quarterback," on March 18, 1944, where Gandee flew in crew position of left waist gunner. On the next mission, and all subsequent ones, the crew flew in B-17 # 42-32003, nicknamed "Shoo Shoo Baby," and Gandee filled the position of tail gunner.

On April 11, 1944, on a mission to bomb targets in Poland, the aircraft was shot down by German fighters. One aircraft made an attack that blew away most of the vertical stabilizer, causing the aircraft to crash into the sea. Observers in other planes stated 5 parachutes were seen, but all crew must have perished in the cold waters as only 3 bodies were ever recovered.

Two of the recovered bodies are buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium. According to an entry in the West Virginia Memory Project, SSgt Gandee's body was not recovered until April 1947. He is now buried in the Stone Lick Cemetery, Kenna, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA. Ssgt Gandee 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