Klein, a Detroit native, graduated high school in 1941 and worked at a technical company before enlisting in the military. His first and only mission was a bombing raid over Ludwigshafen, Germany, where he served as the bombardier in the B-17G #43-37594 "Strictly GI." During the mission, the plane was severely damaged by flak, and on the return trip, it was hit again, leading to the crew bailing out.

Klein survived, landing in a small town where he was captured by German soldiers and spent the next nine months as a POW in Barth, Germany. He was liberated by the Russian army and eventually returned to the US, where he married, earned an engineering degree, and worked for Ford and Boeing. Klein received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal, a Prisoner of War medal, and a Good Conduct medal.

As of 2019, Mr. Klein was 97 years old and retired in California where he lives near his daughters.

Source of information: www.fox2detroit.com