Rexford Rhodes was born on December 4, 1918 and was from Missouri. He served as the Nose Gunner on B-24 “Miss Fortune” (42-73138) of the 343rd Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group “The Pyramiders”, 47th Bomb Wing of the 15th Air Force flying out of Italy.
On February 22, 1944 B-24 “Miss Fortune” flying out of Fortunate Cesare Air Base (Lecce), Italy, was on a Bombing mission during the “BIG WEEK” of February 1944 to Regensburg, Germany to destroy enemy aircraft manufacturing capabilities. After bombing the target, the formation was attacked by over a dozen enemy aircraft and was under severe anti-aircraft fire. “Miss Fortune” was hit and right wing badly damaged. The planed crashed near Nepomuk, in the present day Czech Republic.
All of the crew, except for the Radio Operator, T/SGT Raymond Noury, perished in the crash. Noury was able to parachute out landing in a damaged parachute in a snow bank and was taken prisoner for the rest of the war which he spent in Luft Stalag IV in 4 Gross-Tychow. (Reference Missing Aircraft Report {MACR} 2726)
A memorial is located at the crash site on Dubec Hill (Nepomuk) and in the center of the Village of Prádlo remember the crew. A cenotaph in the Prádlo cemetery. Remembers the crew’s burial location until they were repatriated ot the US. in the
The fallen crew members were interred together on June 16, 1950, Jefferson Barracks St. Louis, MO in SECTION 84 SITE 148
The crew's sacrifice for freedom is told in in the book "Miss Fortune's Last Mission" by Bill Boyce and John H. Torrison (2015).