Jessie Bob Rorie, Jr. was born on July 14, 1923 in Texas. He attended high school for 4 years and worked on a farm. He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Dallas, texas on 24 November 1942. A member of the Bare crew, he was killed when their plane crashed on April 7, 1945. The airplane was rammed by a ME-109, hitting it between the left wing and the tail. It immediately broke in half with the forward section of the plane nosing done in a flat spin and the tail section floating down. The B-17 disintegrated. Eye witnesses stated that the enemy plane was not firing as it came in and they believed that the pilot was dead. The entire crew of ten was killed. Sgt Rorie's is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium. He 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.abmc.gov, www.fieldsofhonor-database.com