Dewitt Garber, Jr. was born on September 2, 1915, in Elkins, Randolph County, West Virginia. He was the son of DeWitt Garber and Evaleen Mary Miller Garber. He was the husband of Marjorie Pearl Smith Garber. Dewitt served in the 780th Bomber Squadron, 465th Bomber Group, as a Second Lieutenant and crew member on the B-24 #42-78308 during World War II.

On August 3, 1944, the B-24 Liberator 42-78308 took part in a major bombing mission over Austria. As the formation passed through the heavily defended Tyrol region it was met by intense German resistance, including heavy anti-aircraft fire and fighter interception. During this violent engagement, one of the largest air battles over Tyrol in the war in which eight B-24s from the same group were lost, the aircraft was critically hit and went down near Biberwier, Austria. It was destroyed, resulting in four crew members killed in action while the remaining crew survived by bailing out and were captured as prisoners of war.

2Lt Garber was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, Aviation Safety Network