John Robert Halbert was born on January 1, 1924, in Pineville, Bell County, Kentucky. He was the son of Robert Z. Halbert and Anastasia Halbert. He enlisted in the service on May 29, 1943. He served in the 602nd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, as a Flight Officer and Co-Pilot of B-17 #42-97266 nicknamed ''Godfather's Inc.'' during World War II.

On April 25, 1945, Godfathers Inc. embarked on its 36th combat mission, targeting the Škoda Armament Works in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia—a significant producer of weapons for the German military. During the bombing run, the aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire (flak), resulting in the failure of engine number two. The damage forced the crew to abandon the aircraft, which ultimately crashed near Litice, close to Pilsen. Three of the eight crew members survived by parachuting out while the remaining were Killed in Action.

FO Halbert was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Saint Pius X Cemetery, Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA. John R. Halbert's name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 9, in the top right wing (section B).

Source of information:www.americanairmuseum.com, www.398th.org